Achievements
Weiss has brought two fields of fundamental physics research from birth to maturity: characterization of the cosmic background radiation, and interferometric gravitational wave observation.
He made pioneering measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation, and then was co-founder and an intellectual leader of the NASA COBE (microwave background) satellite.
Weiss also invented the interferometric gravitational wave detector, and co-founded the NSF LIGO (gravitational-wave detection) Project. Both of these efforts couple remarkable challenges in instrument science with physics of the deepest importance for our understanding of the Universe.
Weiss contributed to LIGO through:
- his inception of the measurement technique
- recognition and delineation of the experimental challenges
- building of early prototype instruments
- leadership of the effort to propose full-scale observatories
- engineering of the world's largest ultra-high vacuum system to house the instruments
- commissioning of the initial detectors
- forming and first leadership of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration
- mentorship of many of the physicists leading the field.
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