ET: Einstein Gravitational-wave Telescope
The direct detection of gravitational waves – tiny distortions of space-time predicted by Albert Einstein - is one of
the most important and fundamental research areas of modern science. Their direct observation will allow us totally
new insights into our universe inaccessible to any other technology – including clues as to its very beginning. The
Einstein Telescope (ET) project concerns the study and conceptual design for a new research infrastructure that will
bring Europe to the forefront of the most promising new development in our quest to understand the history and
future of the Universe, the emergence of the field of gravitational wave astronomy.
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Riding the gravitational wave
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space and
time produced by violent events in the distant universe – for
example, by the collision of two black holes or by the cores
of supernova explosions. They are emitted by accelerating
masses much in the same way as radio waves are produced
by accelerating charges – such as electrons in antennas.
Black hole and neutron star binaries are self-calibrating
standard sirens. Their detection will allow a direct
measurement of the luminosity distance to high red-shift
galaxies. ET will detect compact binary mergers from far
corners of the Universe and will therefore be a new tool for
measuring the acceleration of the Universe, the properties
of dark matter and dark energy. Binary black hole mergers
are among the most violent phenomena in the Universe,
with the luminosity in gravitational radiation outshining
that of the entire visible Universe for a short duration
during the merger. They will therefore be ideal for testing
Einstein’s theory in ultra-strong gravitational fields - tests
that are only possible with gravitational waves.
Predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916 as a consequence
of his General Theory of Relativity, the direct detection
of gravitational waves is one of the most important and
fundamental open questions of modern science. The evolution
of the current (first-generation) gravitational wave detectors is
well defined: after the current upgrade to the ‘enhanced level’,
the detectors will evolve toward their second generation: the
advanced (Virgo and LIGO) detector.
The ET design study thus represents an important step
towards the third generation of gravitational wave
observatories, defining the specifications for the required
site and infrastructure and the necessary technologies, and
lastly also the total budget needed.
This third-generation observatory is expected to be a
hundred times more sensitive than current detectors.
Furthermore, all frequencies that can be measured on
Earth, the entire range between 1 Hz and 10 kHz, should be
detected by this instrument.
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ET: Einstein Gravitational-wave Telescope
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An eye on the past
Observation of gravitational waves would have far-reaching
consequences, aside from verifying the General Theory of
Relativity: it would become possible to cast an eye on the
‘early childhood’ of our universe for the first time. Until now,
observation of the sky is limited to the electromagnetic spectrum
(e.g., radio and X-ray telescopes and astronomy in visible light)
and observation of cosmic rays and neutrinos. The information
thus available to us can reach us from the past only from a time at
least 380 000 years after the Big Bang.
Epochs dating back further have thus far remained hidden, as
the universe became transparent for electromagnetic radiation
only at that time. The various theories on the early universe
have therefore remained unverified experimentally. The direct
measurement of gravitational waves may allow ‘listening’ back
as far as the very first trillionth of a second following the Big
Bang. This would give us totally new information about our
universe: with gravitational wave astronomy, totally new areas
of science will become accessible.
The main objective of the ET design study is to realise the
conceptual design of a third-generation gravitational wave
detector, with the specifications of the site and infrastructure
characteristics and the description of the requirements of the
detector main components.
Project acronym: ET
Funding scheme: Design Studies (DS)
Gravitational wave research is a global effort because the
full information about many gravitational wave sources
can only be obtained with several interferometers working
simultaneously in different places. Therefore the US, GermanBritish, Italian-French, and Dutch scientific communities have
been working together closely for a long time. They share
technology development, numerical relativity methods and
data analysis methods and tools. The joint European project
ET, already included into the roadmaps of the worldwide
gravitational wave scientific community, will help to further
improve this worldwide collaboration.
Coordinator: Jacques Colas, et-ds@ego-gw.it
Project webpage: www.et-gw.eu
EU financial contribution: €3 million
EU project officer: Elena Righi-Steele
Duration: 38 months
Start date: 5 May 2008
Completion date: 4 july 2011
Partners:
European Gravitational Observatory (IT)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (IT)
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.,
acting through Max- Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (DE)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
University of Birmingham (UK)
University of Glasgow (UK)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Nikhef (NL)
Cardiff University (UK)
© European Communities, November 2009
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged
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