Alberto Vecchio

Italian physicist (1930–2018)

Alberto Vecchio

Born|

Mantua, Italy

Nationality| Italian
Occupation(s)| Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Awards| Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, 2016
Academic background
Alma mater| University of Milano
Academic advisors| Bruno Bertotti
Academic work
Discipline| Theoretical physics
Institutions| University of Birmingham
Notable students| Chiara Mingarelli
Main interests| gravitational waves

Alberto Vecchio (Italian pronunciation: [alˈbɛrto ˈvɛkkjo]) is a physicist, a professor at the University of Birmingham in the School of Physics and Astronomy, and the Director of the Institute of Gravitational Wave Astronomy.[1][2] He was a contributor in the upgrade of LIGO to Advanced LIGO which resulted in the discovery of gravitational waves in February 2016.[3][4]

## Education

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Vecchio graduated with a degree in theoretical physics as an undergraduate at Ghislieri College and the University of Pavia. He obtained a PhD in astronomy from the University of Milan in 1996, where he worked with Bruno Bertotti, one of Erwin Schrödinger's last students.[5]

## LIGO

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Working in collaboration with other scientists at University of Birmingham, Vecchio helped build and test instruments to detect gravitational waves. After these were improved further as part of the Advanced LIGO upgrade, gravitational waves were detected. These instruments allowed the properties of the sources from the gravitational wave signatures to be extracted.[6]

## References

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1. ^ Radford, Tim (11 February 2016). "Gravitational waves: breakthrough discovery after a century of expectation". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
2. ^ "Professor Alberto Vecchio". School of Physics and Astronomy. University of Birmingham. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
3. ^ "Reaction: Gravitational waves discovery". BBC News. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
4. ^ Hurst, Ben (11 February 2016). "Watch: Birmingham scientists help to discover gravitational waves". Birmingham Live.
5. ^ "Alberto Vecchio". School of Physics and Astronomy. University of Birmingham. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
6. ^ "Gravitational waves detected!". Science and Technology Facilities Council. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.