On (not only) open questions in physics with David Hlaváček
In the "Open Questions in Physics" interview series we introduce you to different research areas and personalities of the Institute of Physics. At the Department of Astroparticle Physics, David Hlaváček is involved in the design of one of the control modules of the upcoming LISA space mission, which aims to capture gravitational waves possibly dating back to the very beginning of the universe. In addition, he is also involved in the outreach and philosophy of science. Where does he see physics going, what will LISA tell us about the cosmos and why is it important to inspire new generations of scientists?
Few can say that the result of their work will one day travel to space, but you can. Could you introduce the readers to what you are currently working on?
My work is mainly engineering tasks on the LISA project, which is a gravitational wave detector that will be launched into space in 2034. In collaboration with four institutes of the Academy of Sciences and one private company, we are developing the FSUA mechanism for switching laser beams, which allow the three probes of the mission to measure the distance between each other. We gradually develop prototypes up to the one for the flight.
The mechanism for correcting the laser beam polarization when switching between primary and redundant lasers is being developed by a consortium of four institutes of the Academy of Sciences. The photo shows a working prototype Photo: Jan Ebr
In addition, I am involved in science outreach and am in charge of the Fyzikové do škol (Physicists into Schools) programme, under which scientists from the Institute of Physics visit Czech schools. We currently have over 20 topics – from low-temperature experiments and CERN to bad physics in movies – and over 15 tutors, with other ones joining. According to the feedback received, the lectures are attractive even for students who otherwise do not enjoy physics. Teachers interested in the programme go to our website, look at the topic offer, fill out a form, and then a notification comes to me or my colleague Pavla Federičová and we arrange a visit to the school. Lectures are free of charge, so schools from more remote and poorer regions are not disadvantaged.
Physics is unpopular which is a shame – more such projects are needed! How did this one actually come about?
To tell the truth, my wife and I came up with the idea at our home one August evening two years ago, when the Institute of Physics advertised the position of a part-time populariser and I learned that although being a research employee, I could also apply for the job. In the selection process our task was to come up with a project and describe how we would implement it, from budget to staffing. That's when the idea was born. We knew that scientists from our institute were visiting schools, but it was not coordinated in any way, which was a shame. We wanted to know why it is not organized centrally. It has changed now.
Dejan Prokop demonstrates the phenomenon of magnetic levitation on the Physicists to Schools trip to the T. G. Masaryk Primary School in Jihlava. Photo: Marie Palánová
How many schools have you visited so far?
We have visited more than thirty schools and we have approximately ten more visits planned before the end of this calendar year. We are going to reach out to international schools as well, as we are starting to offer lectures in English on the Physicists into Schools new website. We are currently meeting with English-speaking lecturers and preparing new topics such as the connection between magnetism and biophysics or gravity. Interestingly presented physics in schools will hopefully bring more students to into the field.
True; physics approached in an interesting way in schools will hopefully attract more students. What drew you to science and engineering and eventually to the Institute of Physics?
I got to the Institute of Physics by a bit of a detour after spending nine years in private companies. I have a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and also in my former job we worked very intensively with universities and research institutes. I eventually ended up at the Institute of Physics, which turned out ideal because, in addition to research, I can also get involved in science outreach. In addition, the LISA space mission project we are working on is long-term, meaningful, very interesting and also great to talk about.
What obstacles have you had to overcome so far in the construction of the FSUA component, which is created in the Czech consortium?
The biggest obstacle is production because although we do have a mechanical workshop at the institute, not everything can be produced, so we have to send some parts to companies. Unfortunately, there is often a problem with delivery times that are too long. We also deal with, for example, the wear of surfaces and the search for their appropriate treatment, so that it did not occur.
You once searched long and hard for screws made of non-magnetic material, didn’t you?
Yes, that's right. It is surprisingly difficult to find suitable components made from a material that is not even weakly ferromagnetic. In the case of LISA satellites, there is a requirement that the components of the mechanism produced by us must not be ferromagnetic if possible, in order to avoid electromagnetic interference of the measured signal. At this point, I would like to thank Dr. Heczko from our institute, who analyzed screws made of different materials. In the end, the winner was Inconel.
What can the trio of space probes that make up the LISA mission tell us in addition to detectors here on Earth, such as LIGO?
Since LISA's detectors will be much further apart than the length of LIGO's arms – 2.5 million kilometres to be exact – it is possible to pick up gravitational waves from other sources than we can with detectors on Earth, such as collisions of supermassive black holes. This will open opportunities to test general relativity under other, more extreme conditions, and even deeper understand the structure of the entire universe. There is also a chance that we might be able to pick up relict gravitational waves from just after the Big Bang, but this is not yet certain.
You deal with expanding the boundaries of knowledge not only through science, but also through the philosophy of science. What exactly are you working on in that area?
For example, I am cooperating with the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia, where I will give my second lecture in the course of Associate Professor Havlík, which is called Philosophy and History of Science and Technology. In the past, I have already talked about the difficulties that contemporary physics is facing and whether philosophy could somehow help with this, specifically whether it would not help if physicists were more concerned with it and learned to ask new questions as a result. In the autumn in the course, I will be talking about the philosophy behind engineering methods.
David Hlaváček presents the Fyzikové do škol (Physicists to Schools) program at VědaFest 2023. Photo: Anna Štindová
In physics, however, we have been waiting for a major breakthrough similar to Einstein's general theory of relativity or quantum mechanics for several decades. Although the achievements of the last decades are indisputable, whether it is the experimental confirmation of the Higgs boson or gravitational waves, these results only confirm the existing paradigm, and so far, new paradigms that would help us better understand unclear or unexplored areas of the field have not yet been found.
If you are interested in open questions of contemporary physics, come to the panel discussion as part of the Researchers' Night this Friday, October 27 at 5 pm!