Research Interests
- Third-generation gravitational-wave detector technology.
- Quantum control of macroscopic objects.
- Commissioning of Advanced LIGO.
- Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO.
News Articles
Syracuse, Cal State Fullerton Awarded Grant to Enhance Diversity in Astrophysics
Syracuse Physicists among Recipients of Breakthrough, Gruber Prizes
Gravitational Waves Detected 100 Years after Einstein’s Prediction
Four SU professors receive prestigious ‘CAREER’ awards from National Science Foundation
Education
| 2006 | Ph.D. in Physics Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2000 | Diploma in Physics, with honors in Theoretical Physics Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) - Zurich |
Awards & Professional Honors
- Robert A. Millikan Postdoctoral Prize Fellowship for Experimental Astrophysics (2006), California Institute of Technology
- Honorable Mention, GWIC (Gravitational Wave International Committee) Thesis Prize (2006)
Selected Publications
S. Ballmer, S. Marka, P. Shawhan, "Feasibility of measuring the Shapiro time delay over meter-scale distances", Class. Quantum Grav. 27 185018.
B. Abbott, et. al., “An upper limit on the stochastic gravitational-wave background of cosmological origin” Nature 460 (2009) 990.
E. Thrane, S. Ballmer, J. D. Romano, S. Mitra, D. Talukder, S. Bose, V. Mandic, “Probing the anisotropies of a stochastic gravitational-wave background using a network of ground-based laser interferometers” Phys. Rev. D80, 122002 (2009).
M. Evans, S. Ballmer, M. Fejer, P. Fritschel, G. Harry, G. Ogin “Thermo-optic noise in coated mirrors for high-precision optical measurements” Phys. Rev. D78, 102003 (2008).