200 likes | 276 Views
Who?. L aser I nterferometer G ravitational-Wave O bservatory. Presented By: Bonnie Wooley. Who?. MIT. Caltech. Funded by: National Science Foundation ($292 million)
E N D
Who? Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Presented By: Bonnie Wooley
Who? MIT Caltech Funded by: National Science Foundation ($292 million) Managed by: California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
What ? Binary Neutron Star System Galaxy Super Nova Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory A device to detect gravitational waves and its use to probe the universe has been a dream of theoretical physicists for several decades LIGO is such a device. I should detect gravitational waves from sources such as black-hole collisions, the pulsations of newborn neutron stars resulting from supernovae explosions, and the background remnants of the Big Bang itself.
What ? Gravitational-Wave
When ? • 1996 Construction Underway (mostly civil) • 1997 Facility Construction (vacuum system) • 1998 Interferometer Construction (complete facilities) • 1999 Construction Complete (interferometers in vacuum) • 2000 Detector Installation (commissioning subsystems) • Commission Interferometers (first coincidences) • 2002 Sensitivity studies (initiate LIGO I Science Run) • 2003+ LIGO I data run (one year integrated data) • 2006+ Begin ‘Advanced LIGO’ installation
Where ? Livingston, Louisiana Hanford, Washington
Where ? Other Facilities Around the World AGIO LSC (LIGO Scientific Collaboration) 44 collaborating groups; 400 collaborators
How ? • 4 Kilometers (~5 miles Long) • Shape of “L”
OPTICS LASERInfrared Pre-Stabilized 10 watts YAG Fused Silica
THANKS! Learn More by Visiting: www.ligo-la.caltech.edu