Job Information
California Institute of Technology Vacuum Engineer in Richland, Washington
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community. Job Summary Caltech's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) seeks a highly motivated and skilled Vacuum Engineer to join its Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) team at the Richland, Washington observatory site. LIGO Laboratory is a major National Science Foundation facility dedicated to observing the newly discovered gravitational-wave universe. Jointly operated by the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LIGO operates the world's leading gravitational observatories near Richland, WA and Baton Rouge, LA, as well as campus R&D centers in Pasadena, CA and Cambridge, MA. This position is a fulltime in-person role located at LIGO Hanford in Richland, WA. To learn more about LIGO Laboratory, please visitLIGO.caltech.edu. The Laboratory's mission supports the young science of gravitational-wave physics and astronomy and includes observatory operations, analysis and dissemination of astrophysical observations, detector science and technology R&D, gravitational-wave astrophysics, and education and public outreach. LIGO now also leads the effort to expand humanity's gravitational wave horizon with a next-generation observatory,Cosmic Explorer(CE). Slated for construction in the 2030's, CE will be ten times the size and reach of LIGO, able to gather signals from the edge of the observable universe. The selected applicant will join an elite team charged with conceiving, designing, and testing advanced technology for the CE vacuum systems, destined to be the largest ultrahigh vacuum systems ever built. We will exercise and develop this technology in a new, purpose-built UHV research facility, the Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment (CEBEX) Laboratory, located at LIGO Hanford. This is an Essential Reporting position. In the event of an emergency on campus, an employee designated as essential reporting has essential job skills that are needed for response and recovery and is expected to report to Campus as soon as possible. Essential Job Duties Current Washington and Louisiana LIGO installations occupy 4 km long, 10 million-liter UHV systems operating at one trillionth of atmospheric pressure (10-9 millibar), making them the two largest contiguous UHV volumes ever constructed. The planned Cosmic Explorer observatory will require beamtubes 10x longer, up to 40 km in length. This will multiply CE's detectable source range by ten, increasing the accessible volume of space thousandfold. However, UHV structures of this size and volume have never been attempted. As a key founding member of the CEBEX team, the selected engineer will contribute to the modeling, trade study, design, fabrication, installation, bakeout and characterization of engineering prototypes and technology demonstrators for CE beamtubes up to 40 km in length. Tests will include qualification of a planned 1.2-meter diameter, 120-meter-long demonstration tube, to be erected in the new purpose-built CEBEX laboratory at LHO. This position will report to the Vacuum Team Lead at LIGO Hanford Observatory. Collaborate with research scientists and engineers in modeling and investigation of UHV techniques, surface preparation, residual gas characterization, material surface analysis, welding and fabrication technology, structural statics and dynamics, and related disciplines. Assist with procurement of instruments and equipment, technical requirement definition, and quality assurance. Collaborate on writing and delivering research papers and technical presentations. Operate UHV m