I earned my MSc diploma in physics-astrophysics at Lorand Eotvos University, Budapest, in 2006, and received my Phd absolutorium in 2009. I currently work as staff associate Columbia University, New York. I have been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 2007, which is a world-wide community of scientists working on various fields of gravitational wave physics. In particular, I have been leading the data analysis efforts of the LSC group at Eotvos University, called EGRG. I also take a significant part of the group's outreach activity by giving academic and public lectures in gravitational wave astrophysics, and mentoring undergraduate students at many levels. My main research interest includes gravitational wave burst analysis, multi-messenger astronomy, and gravitational wave detector development.
Name: Péter Raffai
Year
of birth: 1982.
Nationality:
Hungarian
Qualification:
MSc diploma in Physics, 2006, Eötvös Loránd
University (Budapest, Hungary)
PhD School 2006-2009, Institute of Physics, Eötvös Loránd
University
Recent position: staff associate, Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York (2011-)
assistant lecturer, Institute of Physics, Eötvös Loránd University (2010-)
„Yukawa-like Potential Tests Using Dynamic Gravity Gradients in Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors” - talk, 11th Marcell Grossmann Meeting; Berlin, Germany (July 2006)
„Search Method for Quasi-Monochromatic Gravitational Wave Signals in Time-Frequency Space” - poster, 11th Gravitational Wave Data Analysis Workshop, Potsdam, Germany (December 2006.)
„Dynamic Yukawa-type Gravitational Perturbation Tests Using Interferometric Gravitatioanl Wave Detectors” - talk presented in Hungarian, Theoretical Physics Summer School, Gyöngyöstarján, Hungary (August 2006)
„New Astrophysics and Search Techniques in Gravitational-Wave Observation” - talk, Astroparticle Physics: Current Issues, Budapest (June 2007)
„Method for Dynamical Measurement of Non-Newtonian Graviational Perturbations using Gravitational Wave Detectors” - talk presented in Hungarian, Annual Meeting of Hungarian Physicists, Eger, Hungary (August 2007)
„Gravitational Waves” – review talk, Weekend for Undergraduate Researchers, Pecs (October 2007)
„Einstein’s Symphony – the Gravitational Waves” – talk in 15+5 minutes, Bolyai Conference, Budapest (April 2008.)
„Einstein’s Symphony – the Gravitational Waves” – invited talk in 50+20 minutes for the popular „A Little Night Physics” talk series of Pecs City (January 2009)
„Recovering spinning waverforms with spinning templates”- poster, 8th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, Columbia University, New York, USA (June 2009)
„Einstein’s Symphony – the Gravitational Waves” – talk, Balaton Summer School in Physics, Balatongyörök (July 2009)
„Searching for poorly modeled signals with limited duration in gravitational wave detector data” – talk, 5th Workshop of Young Researchers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Budapest (September 2009)
„Time-frequency methods for long duration burst searches” – talk, LSC-Virgo September 2009 Meeting, Budapest (September 2009)
„Compact binary waveform recovery from the cross-correlated data of two detectors by matched filtering with spinning templates”- poster, 14th Gravitational Wave Data Analysis Workshop, Rome, Italy (January 2010)
„A 2D Cross-correlational Veto Method for Incoherent Gravitational Wave Data Analysis Pipelines”- poster, LVC Meeting, Arcadia, USA (March 2010)
„An Infrasound Monitoring Device for the LIGO PEM System”- poster, LVC Meeting, Arcadia, USA (March 2010.)
„An X-ray source catalog for joint LIGO-Virgo-Swift observations”- poster, LVC Meeting, Arcadia, USA (March 2010)
„A spectrum comparison tool for LIGO PEM channel data”- poster, LVC Meeting, Arcadia, USA (March 2010)
„Searching for narrowband gravitational-wave signals with the IM Pipeline” – talk in 25+5 minutes, „From Planets to Galaxies” Workshop, Budapest (July 2010)
„LIGO participation in Hungary: The Budapest-Szeged-Debrecen Collaboration” – talk in 15+5 minutes, ASPERA Hungarian National Day, Budapest (October 2010)
„Search for long gravitational-wave transients from gamma-ray bursts during LIGO S5 and S6 runs” – poster, Gravitational-wave Physics & Astronomy Workshop, Milwaukee, USA (January 2011)
LSC-Virgo September 2009 Meeting, September 19-24, 2009, Loránd Eötvös University. I was a member of the local Eötvös University committee consisting of three physicists, organizing the 2009 fall meeting of the LIGO-Virgo international gravitational wave science collaboration.
Conference website (self made)
Working as a Science Monitor at LIGO Livingston Laboratory (September 2009, and June 2010)
Participating in the LIGO Looc-Up Project as a LUMIN Expert (August 2010)
Pro Bolyai College Prize, 2006.
National Conference for Student Scientists 2005. Physics, earth sciences and mathematics section; II. prize
National Conference for Student Scientists at Eötvös University 2005. Physics section; II. prize
„Award for the Best Presentation” based on the audience’s votes; Bolyai Conference, Budapest (April, 2008)
„Award for the Best Presentation” based on choice of a professional jury; VESF School on Gravitational Wave Physics, Pisa, Italy (May, 2008). Head of the jury was Francesco Fidecaro, spokesperson of the VIRGO Collaboration.
First prize of a paper-writing competition of a scientific paper entitled „Természet Világa”, Sceptic category (James Randi Prize)
Scholarship of the Republic, 2002/2003. 2005/2006.
Scholarship of the Mayor of Pécs, 2005/2006.
Ericsson Fellowship Programme, 2003-2004.
SURF Fellowship Programme (LIGO/CALTECH), 2004.
Teaching assistance in sophomore Theoretical Mechanics class for two groups of physics, astronomy and physics-computer sciences BSc students (fall semester, 2006)
Teaching assistance in sophomore Theoretical Electrodynamics class for one group of physics and physics-computer sciences BSc students (fall semester, 2007)
Laboratory assistance in senior Methods in Nuclear Physics and Radiology laboratory class for one group of nature sciences MSc students (fall semester, 2007)
Teaching assistance in junior Quantum Mechanics class for one group of physics BSc students (spring semester, 2008)
Teaching assistance in junior Astrophysics class for one group of physics BSc students (fall semester, 2008)
Teaching assistance in Theoretical Electrodynamics class for two groups of physics BSc students (spring semester, 2010)
Teaching Gravitational-wave Astrophysics for one group of physics MSc students (spring semester, 2010)
Teaching assistance in Theoretical Electrodynamics class for one group of physics BSc students (fall semester, 2010)
Teaching Cosmology for one group of physics MSc students (fall semester, 2010)
Teaching Gravitational-wave Astrophysics for one group of physics MSc students (spring semester, 2011)
Teaching assistance in Theoretical Electrodynamics class for one group of physics BSc students (spring semester, 2011)
Title: Controlling chaos in TCP-networks
Mentor: Gábor Vattay, ELTE, Department of Physics of Complex Systems
Duration: 2003-2004.
Comment: This research activity was supported by Ericsson Hungary Ltd. via a special fellowship.
Title: Cross-Correlation Techniques for the Search of Gravitational Wave Bursts in LIGO
Mentors:
Laura Cadonati, Massachusetts Intitute of Technology (MIT)
Szabolcs Márka, California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)
Duration: 2004-2005.
Comment: This research activity was carried out at California Institute of Technology in a research group of Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). A study which was written on this topic was honoured by second prize at the National Conference for Student Scientists in 2005.
Intermediate English Language Exam
Basic-level German Language Exam
I have completed a non-degree program, the Physics Machine Shop Class at Columbia University, and trained to use the lathe machine, milling machine, band saw, drilling and sander machines.
Organization of the weekly „Astro Pizza Lunch” seminars in English (Eötvös Loránd University, 2007-)
Participation in the foundation of the Eötvös Gravity Research Group (EGRG) at Eötvös Loránd University in 2007. The group is headed by Zsolt Frei Phd, and is a full member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration from 2007. I personally lead the data analysis efforts of the group, and I also participate in the group’s outreach activity by giving academic and public lectures in gravitational wave astrophysics, and mentoring undergraduate students at many levels.
Organization of Bolyai Conference (ELTE Bolyai College) 2002, 2003.
Organization of film clubs (ELTE, Bolyai College 2004/2005.)
Implementation and supervision of an electronic database on the works of the members of Bolyai College (Bolyai Lexikon) (2004/2005.)
Foundation of Bolyai Intellectual Forum (ELTE, Bolyai College, 2005.)
Volunteer work in the Deva children’s house of the Devai Szent Ferenc Foundation (numerous times for 1-2 weeks in 2009-2010)
11. ARC Billboard Art Festival and Competition, „You can also act against poverty!” category, first prize (2010)
My works were presented at the following art exhibitions:
„Ez van!” exhibition, „Matrica” Museum, Százhalombatta, Hungary (from 15th March 2011)
39th World Gallery of Art on Paper exhibition, Skopje, Macedonia (from 26th May 2011)
Budapest, 14th November 2011. Péter Raffai