Elena Cuoco Scientific Curriculum
I have received a secondary instruction of scientific type, giving a degree at the Liceo Scientifico "Leonardo da Vinci" of Fasano in 1986.
The same year I was at University of the Studies of Pisa, following the courses of Degree in Physics.
During the thesis job
("Statistical Problems in the study of the structure on Large scale of the Universe"),
I have analysed the efficiency of the algorithms commonly uses in Cosmology
(function you of correlation to two, three and four points,
function of probability of the empty ones, percolation test, genus, counts in cells)
respect to a procedure of Sparse-Sampling in the compilation of catalogues observed you of galaxies.
To such scope I have used N-body simulations on which I have verified the robustness of the algorithms.
I have achieved the Degree in Physics 17 November 1993.
In November 1994 I started my PhD in Physics at the University of the Studies of Pisa,
under the supervision of Professor Giuseppe Curci.
The first year of course I have attended advanced courses of Theoretical,
Physical Physics of Particles and Physics of the Solid State.
In January ' 95 I joined to the experiment of detection of Gravitational Waves VIRGO.
The argument of the Ph.D thesis deal with the preparation for the analysis of the data for
such experiment.
In particular the activity of research carried out was focused on the study of the noise
of the apparatus and on the optimal and sub-optimal methods of detection of gravitational signals.
In the PhD thesis I also estimated the theoretical noise curve produced
by the direct coupling of the gravity gradient around the experiment mass tests
and the same mass tests, the so-called Newtonian noise.
For the implementation of the optimal filtering for the search of signal of
known shape and unknown values for its parameters buried in the noise,
it is necessary the knowledge of noise power spectral density of the detector.
To such scope I have been analysed the consistency and the efficiency of the methods
of spectral estimation modern and classics.
The study of the modern spectral methods,
in particular parametric methods AR, MA, ARMA, has suggested the employment of adaptive
techniques for the online estimation of the parameters that characterize the noise process,
allowing also to obtain online the whitening for the noise process.
This operation is crucial for the implementation of the optimal filtering
for the searching of gravitational signals.
I have defended my Ph. D thesis about "Identification of VIRGO noise and methods of
detection gravitational signal " in date 1 July 1998, obtaining the PhD title.
In 1 February 1999 me it has been conferred a Post Doc fellow at the Department of Astronomy and Science of Spazio at the University of the Studies of Florence for the activity of research of data analyses for experiment VIRGO. Such fellow was confirmed in February 2000.
From 6 February 2001 I joined to the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare section of Florence, with a temporary position as researcher.
From May 2004 I joined the European Gravitational Observatory, which hosted the Virgo Experiment.
During last years I workede on the detection of GW transient-like signals buried in Noise. To such a goal a developed an algorithm base on wavelet denoising tool: Wavelet Detection Filter (WDF).
Research activity
- Collaboration for the experiment Low Frequency Facility for the measure of the thermal noise outside resonance and to very low frequency.
I have contributed to the analysis of the data for the study of the resonances of the chain of the superattenuator of the detector mounted in laboratories INFN of San Piero a Grado of group VIRGO
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Data Analysis for the experiment VIRGO From 1995 to 2008.
It has regarded the preparation and the test of the algorithms of identification
and whitening of the Virgo noise having used numerical simulations of the noise sequence.
Moreover it has been studied the algorithms for the detection gravitational signals
coming from coalescences of binary stars.
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In the 2000 such algorithms they have been employs for the analysis of the real data
of produced noise by the USA experiment LIGO 40-m.
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From 2001 and it has begun the activity of commissioning for the interferometer
of central area of VIRGO experiment (CITF), and from the June of 2001 the data acquisition.
I collaborate with the activity of data analysis for the CITF as coordinator
of Lines identification group for the characterization of the sensitivity curve of the
CITF and the identification of the spectral lines of the curve of noise.
The algorithms of identification and whitening of the noise are employed on the real data of the CITF. In the June of 2001 I began to collaborate with differenent laboratories VIRGO experiment (Florence, Urbino, Perugia, Pisa) for the writing and the implementation of the software for the searching coalescing binary signals on PCs farm.
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The whitening and WDF filter have been used for the analysis of Virgo data.
Other working Experiences
- Collaborator for the Pisa Research Consortium for the planning of the elaboration module software of one angiographic room (project MURST CARDIO II). The research activity parallel consisted mainly in the study of new algorithms for the automated analysis of the angiographic images and in the implementation of these algorithms on parallel platform.
- January 1998 to January 1999 I have worked at the Department of Physics of the University of Pisa for the installation of software for the Virgo experiment.
- From December 1997 I collaborate with the Zanichelli Publisher for the correction of rough drafts of the textbooks.
Participation to Schools and Conferences
- September 1993: National school of Astrophysics, Sant' Agata sui due Golfi (NA); March 1996: International conference "Gravitational Waves, Sources and Detectors", Cascina (Pisa).
- July 1997: International conference "2nd Amaldi Conference", CERN (Geneva), to which I have introduced in the Poster-Session the job "Adaptive Identification of VIRGO-like noise spectrum".
- September 1997: National school of Theoretical physics, SNFT97, Parma.
- June 1998: "International Workshop on thermal noise and low frequency noise" to Perugia.
- September 1998 I have participated to the international conference "Around Virgo", to Tirrenia (Pisa).
- December 2001: Gravitational Given Wave Analysis Workshop, to Trento (TN) where I have introduced the job Double whitening in matched filter.
- May 2002: Gravitational Wave Advanced Detector Workshop, Elba Island where I have introduced the talk: Wiener Filtering and Not Stationary Noise: Detection Efficiency and Undetected Non linearities.
- June 2002: Non Linear Physics II: Theory and experiment, Gallipoli (Lecce), where I have introduced the job: Adaptive spectral identification techniques in presence of undetected non linearities.
- October 2002: "Gravitation and Experiment 2002", Pisa where they have been invited to introduce the talk: "Not stationary noise: detection efficiency for coalescing binaries "
- Dec 2002: "GWDAW", Trento
- Dec 2004: "GWDAW", Annecy
- May 2006: "GWADW", Elba, where I gave the talk "Noise Analisys in Virgo"
- July 2006: "11th Marcel Grosman meeting", Berlin, where I was invited to give a talk on "Virgo Data Analysis during C6-C7 commissioning runs"
Seminaries
- June 1994: I have been invited to the NICE Observatory (OCA) in order to introduce my job of Degree thesis.
- May 1998: they have been invited near the National Laboratories of Legnaro to hold the seminary "The status of Virgo experiment".
Other Activity
From the 2001 I was Referee near the international review Classical and Quantum Gravity, IOP Publishing