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Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project

Radio, optical and X-rays telescopes are improving our knowledge of deep space. All these telescopes detect electromagnetic radiation at various frequencies. But a different kind of radiation is generated in the deeper space; it is the gravitational one. Gravitational waves change the space-time met...

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Autor principal: Gaddi, A
Lenguaje:eng
Publicado: 2002
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://cds.cern.ch/record/643282
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author Gaddi, A
author_facet Gaddi, A
author_sort Gaddi, A
collection CERN
description Radio, optical and X-rays telescopes are improving our knowledge of deep space. All these telescopes detect electromagnetic radiation at various frequencies. But a different kind of radiation is generated in the deeper space; it is the gravitational one. Gravitational waves change the space-time metric. As a consequence, GW telescopes should detect an extremely small strain (h < 10/sup -21/) of the geometry of a reference frame; if the frame has a reference dimension (L) of some kilometers, the deformation amplitude ( Delta L = h * L) is limited to 10/sup -16/ meters. Laser interferometers are the most suitable devices to make precise measurements of distances. Their resolution is limited by the laser wavelength ( lambda = 10/sup -6/ meters) and by the light wave-shift detection capability ( Delta Phi = 1 ppb). These theoretical limits are strongly degraded by different noise sources, which reduce the actual resolution by several orders of magnitude. Applied physicists and engineers are working together to overcome the technical problems that still keep the distance between theoretical and actual detectors' performances. Three large GW telescopes, based on the laser interferometric technology, are under commissioning in the USA (2) and Europe (1). They will become operatives in the next years, with sensitivity of the order of h = 10 /sup -21/, in the range between 10 Hz and a few kHz. Among the others, two characteristics are peculiar of the VIRGO interferometer: the high performance of the minors' seismic isolation system and the huge ultra high vacuum volume, that will result in the biggest UHV apparatus ever built all over Europe. (15 refs).
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spelling cern-6432822019-09-30T06:29:59Zhttp://cds.cern.ch/record/643282engGaddi, AGravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO projectGeneral Relativity and CosmologyRadio, optical and X-rays telescopes are improving our knowledge of deep space. All these telescopes detect electromagnetic radiation at various frequencies. But a different kind of radiation is generated in the deeper space; it is the gravitational one. Gravitational waves change the space-time metric. As a consequence, GW telescopes should detect an extremely small strain (h < 10/sup -21/) of the geometry of a reference frame; if the frame has a reference dimension (L) of some kilometers, the deformation amplitude ( Delta L = h * L) is limited to 10/sup -16/ meters. Laser interferometers are the most suitable devices to make precise measurements of distances. Their resolution is limited by the laser wavelength ( lambda = 10/sup -6/ meters) and by the light wave-shift detection capability ( Delta Phi = 1 ppb). These theoretical limits are strongly degraded by different noise sources, which reduce the actual resolution by several orders of magnitude. Applied physicists and engineers are working together to overcome the technical problems that still keep the distance between theoretical and actual detectors' performances. Three large GW telescopes, based on the laser interferometric technology, are under commissioning in the USA (2) and Europe (1). They will become operatives in the next years, with sensitivity of the order of h = 10 /sup -21/, in the range between 10 Hz and a few kHz. Among the others, two characteristics are peculiar of the VIRGO interferometer: the high performance of the minors' seismic isolation system and the huge ultra high vacuum volume, that will result in the biggest UHV apparatus ever built all over Europe. (15 refs).oai:cds.cern.ch:6432822002
spellingShingle General Relativity and Cosmology
Gaddi, A
Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title_full Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title_fullStr Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title_full_unstemmed Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title_short Gravitational waves interferometer and the VIRGO project
title_sort gravitational waves interferometer and the virgo project
topic General Relativity and Cosmology
url http://cds.cern.ch/record/643282
work_keys_str_mv AT gaddia gravitationalwavesinterferometerandthevirgoproject