International Summer Research Program in Gravitational-Wave Physics:
Research Experiences for Undergraduates around the world


INFN-Pisa
Director: Prof. Francesco Fidecaro
The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) is the Italian funding agency for fundamental research in physics. The Pisa branch (Sezione di Pisa) is involved in several frontier experiments, and in particular in the Virgo detector for gravitational wave detection, a Michelson-type interferometer with 3 km long arms. Virgo is located 15 km from the city and is the largest instrument of the kind in Europe. It is closely connected to the LIGO interferometers in Handford, WA and Livingston, LA. One has the opportunity to work directly on the Virgo site, analyzing data coming from the instrument itself or working with it, when not taking data. Subjects include signal processing and analysis, high precision optics, operation of complex feedback control systems, all under the lead of specialists of the field.