ET-R&D - Networking and R&D for the Einstein Telescope

Gravitational waves are the last prediction of general relativity still awaiting direct experimental detection. The efforts in constructing and optimising large interferometers in different locations all over the world in the last two decades have resulted in instruments of extraordinary sensitivity. While the British/German gravitational wave detector GEO 600 is currently taking data, the American LIGO detectors and the Franco/Italian Virgo detector are being upgraded to further increase their sensitivity. Once these upgrades have reached their design sensitivity the theoretical estimates predict the detection of gravitational waves within a few months to a year. Although frequent detections will be possible, the detection of high signal to-noise ratio events, allowing precision gravitational wave astronomy, will be very rare.

The ET-R&D project is aimed at essential R&D tasks in preparation for a technical design of the Einstein Telescope, a 3rd generation, underground gravitational wave detector. It is widely expected that this detector will allow routine gravitational wave astronomy to take place. While the basic design mostly relies on techniques well developed and tested for the advanced detectors, several aspects still require R&D with long lead times. We propose to target the most important of these topics in this ET-R&D project via 5 working groups (WGs).

WG1 will explore how well astrophysical source models and GR itself can be tested with ET, and how much information on the dynamics of the universe can be extracted from the data. WG2 will collect long term seismic data for various candidate sites and develop methods for measuring the seismic motion which directly couples to the test mass motion, with the goal of developing subtraction techniques. WG3 will investigate properties of cryogenic optics essential for lowering detector thermal noise and providing good low frequency performance. The control of various interferometer degrees of freedom and noise correlations in the data of the three different ET detectors will be studied in WG4. WG5 will focus on overall project management.

The University of the West of Scotland will play a key role in WG3, assisting in the characterisation of the optical properties of bulk silicon materials. In addition, UWS will fabricate ultra-pure amorphous silicon thin film coatings, using the unique deposition facilities available in the Thin Film Centre at UWS, for characterising in collaboration with other labs across the UK and Europe for possible use in multilayer mirror coatings for the optics of the Einstein Telescope.

There are already numerous beneficiaries from the existing programs of research in gravitational waves across the UK and Europe, including industry, other academic disciplines, schools, science centres, museums and the general public. The research outlined within this proposal will further strengthen these benefits, by enabling the UK, along with European partners, to maintain international leadership in the development of technologies for future gravitational wave observatories.

Outreach to schools, science centres, museums and the general public is very strong in the field of Gravitational Wave research, driven by interest in viewing the Universe through the medium of gravity - probing black holes, the warping of space-time and the big bang itself. We propose to continue to contribute to on-going outreach efforts, including working with PR companies such as Milde Marketing to disseminate scientific progress to the public.