Narjiss Messied
PhD student in the “Space Interferometry” group
What is your current position at our institute?
I’m a PhD student in the Space Interferometry group
What is your academic education?
- 2015-2018: BSc in Physics, University of Mouloud Mammeri, Algeria
- 2018-2019: BSc in Fundamental Physics, Sorbonne University, France
- 2019-2020: Master1 in Fundamental Physics, Sorbonne University,France
- 2020-2021: Master2 in Cosmos,Fields and Particles, University of Montpellier, France
Did you have someone who acted as a role model or mentor to you in the past, or does so in the present?
My father. My father is a passionate hydraulic engineer who truly enjoys his work. Since young, his dedication and perseverance has always inspired me and encouraged me to follow this challenging dream of becoming a researcher in physics.
How would you described your research to scientists from other fields?
My PhD work is a part of the LISA project, a mission designed to detect the effects of massive celestial objects’ movements, like the ones caused by black holes. These effects are temporary curvatures of space-time, referred to as “gravitational waves”. Their detection requires accurate measurements, thus highly sensitive instruments, and, in addition, a deep layer of post-processing.
My work aim to test one of the essential devices for the mission: the Phasemeter, which is responsible for recovering the information that confirms the presence of a gravitational wave in the signal. To do so, I conduct ground-based laboratory optical experiments to subject the Phasemeter to a series of tests, attempting to make the experimental conditions as realistic as possible within certain limitations. This approach not only allows to ensure the instrument’s reliability under mission-like conditions, but also evaluates the efficiency of post-processing analysis techniques that are crucial for distinguishing the gravitational signal from the overwhelming noise embedded in the measurements.
Please let us know why you chose the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics for your research.
Adding to the joyful work environment that the AEI offers, surrounding myself with such competent researchers that the institute houses and learning from them will help me to grow my knowledge and experience of the domain. “Scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge” said Stephen Hawking. I hope and inspire to be more involved in this quest.
What would you recommend to a young woman wanting to start a career in physics?
Besides equipping you with the tools to learn and understand profound concepts, a career in physics would offer you an opportunity for personal growth, it pushes you beyond conventional thinking, challenges you to analyze deeper and widen your perception of the world. And in order to do so, I encourage you, as I do myself, to follow Feyman’s wise advice: overcome the fear of judgment and embrace the struggle that comes with tackling such difficult concepts.