Dr. Stephen M. Merkowitz

Astrophysics Science Division
NASA/GSFC
Code 663, Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory
Greenbelt, MD 20771

tel: 301-286-9412
fax: 301-286-1684
e-mail: Stephen.M.Merkowitz @ nasa.gov

Present Position

Astrophysicist at the Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Deputy Project Scientist for the LISA gravitational wave mission.

Brief Bio

Dr. Merkowitz received a Bachelors degree from the University of Colorado in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Physics from Louisiana State University in 1995. His research interests include gravitational wave detection, experimental gravitation, and precision measurements of the gravitational constant. He worked a number of years on spherical gravitational wave antennas in Louisiana, the Netherlands, and Italy. He then spent two years at the University of Washington where he and colleagues measured Newton's gravitational constant with unprecedented precision. He is currently at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center where he is Deputy Project Scientist for the LISA mission and leads several activities on precision laser ranging.

Previous Positions

1998-2000, Research Associate, Nuclear Physics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

1996-1998, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) Postdoctoral Fellow, INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Italy

1996, Visiting Researcher, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

1995-1996, Postdoctoral Researcher, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

1991-1995, Research Assistant, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

1989-1991, Teaching Assistant, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Educational Background

Ph.D., Physics, Louisiana State University, 1995

M.S., Physics, Louisiana State University, 1994

B.A., Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1989

Research Interests

Gravitational wave detection

Precision tests of General Relativity

Lunar Laser Ranging

Precision measurements of the gravitational constant

Current Projects

Deputy Project Scientist, Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
Principal Investigator, Concept Studies for Lunar Sortie Science Opportunities: Precision Lunar Laser Ranging.
Co-Investigator, Big Bang Observer (BBO) vision mission.

Honors and Awards

2005, Goddard Space Flight Center Exceptional Achievement Award

1996-1998, National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) Postdoctoral Fellowship

Selected Publications

Laser Ranging for Gravitational, Lunar, and Planetary Science, by Stephen M. Merkowitz, Philip W. Dabney, Jeffrey C. Livas, Jan F. McGarry, Gregory A. Neumann and Thomas W. Zagwodzki, in Proceedings of the International Workshop "From Quantum to Cosmos: Fundamental Physics Research in Space," (2006).

Achieving the Very Low End of the LISA Sensitivity Band, by Stephen M. Merkowitz, in Proceedings of the 6th International LISA Symposium, (S. M. Merkowitz and J. C. Livas, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings, 2006).

Self-gravity modeling for LISA, by S. M. Merkowitz, W. B. Haile, S. Conkey, W. Kelly III and H. Peabody, Class. Quant. Grav. 22, S395 (2005).

LISA propulsion module separation study, by S. M. Merkowitz, A. Ahmad, T. T. Hyde, T. Sweetser, J. Ziemer, S. Conkey, W. Kelly III and B. Shirgur, Class. Quant. Grav. 22, S413 (2005).

LISA Thermal Design, by H. Peabody and S. Merkowitz, Class. Quant. Grav. 22, S403 (2005).

Structural, thermal, optical and gravitational modelling for LISA, by S. M Merkowitz, S. Conkey, W. B. Haile, W. R. Kelly III, H. Peabody and P. J. Dumont, Class. Quant. Grav. 21, S603 (2004).

Pointing acquisition and performance for the laser interferometry space antenna mission, by T. T. Hyde, P. G. Maghami and S. M. Merkowitz, Class. Quant. Grav. 21, S635 (2004).

The LISA integrated model, by S. M. Merkowitz, Class. Quant. Grav. 20, S255 (2003).

A µNewton thrust-stand for LISA, by S. M. Merkowitz, P. G. Maghami, A. Sharma, W. D. Willis and C. M. Zakrzwski, Class. Quant. Grav. 19, 1745 (2002).

Results on the Strong Equivalence Principle, Dark Matter, and New Forces, by B. Heckel, E. Adelberger, S. Baessler, J. Gundlach, M. Harris, C.Hoyle, S. Merkowitz, U. Schmidt, A. Sharp, G. Smith and E. Swanson, Advances in Space Research 25, 1225 (2000).

Measurement of Newton's Constant Using a Torsion Balance with Angular Acceleration Feedback, by J. H. Gundlach and S. M. Merkowitz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2869 (2000).

Search for coincident excitation of the widely spaced resonant gravitational wave detectors EXPLORER, NAUTILUS and NIOBE, by P. Astone, M. Bassan, D. G. Blair, P. Bonifazi, P. Carelli, E. Coccia, C. Cosmelli, V. Fafone, L. Febo, S. Frasca, I. S. Heng, E. N. Ivanov, A. Marini, E. Mauceli, S. M. Merkowitz, Y. Minenko, I. Modena, G. Modestino, A. Moleti, G. V. Pallottino, M. A. Papa, G. Pizzella, F. Ronga, R. Terenzi and others, Astropart. Phys. 10, 83 (1999).

Errors on the inverse problem solution for a noisy spherical gravitational wave antenna, by Stephen M. Merkowitz, J. Alberto Lobo and M. Angeles Serrano, Class. Quant. Grav. 16, 3035 (1999).

Search for gravitational radiation with the Allegro and Explorer detectors, by P. Astone, M. Bassan, P. Bonifazi, P. Carelli, E. Coccia, C. Cosmelli, V. Fafone, S. Frasca, K. Geng, W. O. Hamilton, W. W. Johnson, E. Mauceli, M. P. McHugh, S. Merkowitz, I. Modena, G. Modestino, A. Morse, G. V. Pallottino, M. A. Papa, G. Pizzella, N. Solomonson, R. Terenzi, M. Visco and N. Zhu, Phys. Rev. D 59, 122001 (1999).

Final isolation stage for a spherical gravitational wave antenna, by S. M. Merkowitz, E. Coccia, V. Fafone, G. Raffone, M. Schipilliti and M. Visco, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 1553 (1999).

Deconvolving the information from an imperfect spherical gravitational wave antenna, by S. M. Merkowitz and W. W. Johnson, Europhys. Lett. 41, 355 (1998).

Solution to the inverse problem for a noisy spherical gravitational wave antenna, by S. M. Merkowitz, Phys. Rev. D 58, 062002 (1998).

Techniques for detecting gravitational waves with a spherical antenna, by S. M. Merkowitz and W. W. Johnson, Phys. Rev. D 56, 7513 (1997).

Search for gravitational radiation from Supernova 1993J, by E. Mauceli, Z. K. Geng, W. O. Hamilton, W. W. Johnson, S. Merkowitz, A. Morse, N. Solomonson, P. Astone, M. Bassan, P. Bonifazi, P. Carelli, E. Coccia, C. Cosmelli, V. Fafone, S. Frasca, I. Modena, P. Modestino, G. V. Pallottino, G. Pizzella, P. Rapagnani, F. Ricci, R. Terenzi and M. Visco, Phys. Rev. D 56, 6081 (1997).

The Allegro gravitational wave detector: Data acquisition and analysis, by E. Mauceli, Z. K. Geng, W. O. Hamilton, W. W. Johnson, S. Merkowitz, A. Morse, B. Price and N. Solomonson, Phys. Rev. D 54, 1264 (1996).

First tests of a Truncated Icosahedral Gravitational Wave Antenna, by S. M. Merkowitz and W. W. Johnson, Phys. Rev. D 53, 5377 (1996).

Spherical Gravitational Wave Antennas and the Truncated Icosahedral Arrangement, by S. M. Merkowitz and W. W. Johnson, Phys. Rev. D 51, 2546 (1995).

Truncated Icosahedral Gravitational Wave Antenna, by W. W. Johnson and S. M. Merkowitz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 2367 (1993).

Publications at the ADS website.