Curriculum Vitae

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: assistant lecturer, Institute of Physics, Eötvös Loránd University

Publication list

Conference participation:

„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)

Conference organization:

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)

Awards:

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)

Fellowships:

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 experience:

Teaching assistance on sophomore Theoretical Mechanics class in two groups of physics, astronomy and physics-computer sciences BSc students (fall semester, 2006.)

Teaching assistance on sophomore Theoretical Electrodynamics class in one group of physics and physics-computer sciences BSc students (fall semester, 2007.)

Laboratory assistance on senior Methods in Nuclear Physics and Radiology laboratory class in one group of nature sciences MSc students (fall semester, 2007.)

Teaching assistance on junior Quantum Mechanics class in one group of physics BSc students (spring semester, 2008.)

Teaching assistance on junior Astrophysics class in one group of physics BSc students (fall semester, 2008.)

Former research activities:

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.

Languages:

Intermediate English Language Exam

Special skills:

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.

Professional social activities:

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.

Student social activities:

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 Lexicon) (2004/2005.)

Foundation of Bolyai Intellectual Forum (ELTE, Bolyai College, 2005.)

Community service:

Volunteer work in the Deva children’s house of the Devai Szent Ferenc Foundation (July 2009)

Fields of interests:

cosmology, history and philosophy of science

Budapest, 20th March 2010. Péter Raffai