PhD defence Guido Alex Iandolo

Keywords: Einstein Telescope, Cryogenics, Gravitational-Wave Detectors

"A Cold Generation: Investigating the Ice Formation in Cryogenic Gravitational-wave Detectors"

With gravitational waves, we can explore our universe. They reveal things we otherwise couldn’t see, like black holes. But measuring these waves is incredibly difficult. It happens at extremely low temperatures. Even when the instruments are in an ultra-high vacuum, tiny traces of gas remain, turning into ice on the measuring equipment. This ice can reduce the sensitivity of the detectors.

Guido Alex Iandolo investigated how ice forms at temperatures close to absolute zero and what this means for future detectors, particularly the Einstein Telescope. He conducted his research using a specially designed cryostat (an extremely cold chamber). But there’s more: with this setup, he also tested the mechanical properties of the silicon for the ETpathfinder mirrors. In doing so, he contributes to this important field of science at Maastricht University. Both aspects of his work help bring the Einstein Telescope closer to reality.

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