space engineers increase ore detector range

Is general relativity still valid under strong-gravity conditions?.

Is general relativity the correct theory of gravity?.

What are the properties of gravitational waves?.

LIGO's detections will provide physicists with the means to answer key scientific questions, such as: LIGO is one of the most sophisticated scientific instruments ever built. Ten times distance reached equates to 1000 times more volume of space probed. The gravitational waves detected by LIGO on that day were generated by two black holes colliding and merging into one nearly 1.3 BILLION light years away! This deeper search for gravitational waves began in September 2015, and within days, LIGO's 'advanced' detectors achieved what Initial LIGO could not accomplish in 8 years of operation: On September 14, 2015, LIGO's interferometers in Livingston, LA and Hanford, WA made the world's first direct detection of gravitational waves, heralding a new era in astronomical exploration. A 10-fold increase in sensitivity means that LIGO will be able to detect gravitational waves 10 times farther away than Initial LIGO, which translates into 'sampling' 1000-times more volume of space (volume increases with the cube of the distance, so 10 times farther away means 10x10x10=1000 times the volume of space), and 1000-times more galaxies containing sources of gravitational waves. This redesign and subsequent improvements will ultimately make LIGO's interferometers 10 times more sensitive than their initial incarnation. The lessons learned during Initial LIGO's operation led to a complete redesign of LIGO's instruments, which were rebuilt between 20. Nevertheless, much was learned from the experience to prepare for the next phase of LIGO’s search for gravitational waves.

The first search for gravitational waves began in 2002 and concluded in 2010 during which time no gravitational waves were detected.

Read on for some quick facts about LIGO, its past, and its exciting future.Ĭonstruction of LIGO's original gravitational wave detectors (dubbed Initial LIGO or iLIGO) was completed in 1999. Comprising the world's largest precision optical instruments and one of the world's largest vacuum systems, LIGO is a marvel of engineering and human ingenuity.

Space engineers increase ore detector range