The Virgo interferometric gravitational antenna

• Published in: Optics and lasers in engineering Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 478 - 487
• Main Authors: Amico, P., Al-Shourbagy, M., Aoudia, S., Avino, S., Babusci, D., Ballardin, G., Barillé, R., Barone, F., Barsuglia, M., Boccara, C., Bondu, F., Bosi, L., Bradaschia, C., Brillet, A., Brisson, V., Brocco, L., Buskulic, D., Calloni, E., Campagna, E., Cavalier, F., Cavalieri, R., Cella, G., Chassande-Mottin, E., Clapson, A.C., Cleva, F., Corda, C., Coulon, J.-P., Cuoco, E., Davier, M., De Rosa, R., Di Fiore, L., Dujardin, B., Eleuteri, A., Enard, D., Fidecaro, F., Fiori, I., Fournier, J.-D., Frasca, S., Frasconi, F., Freise, A., Gennai, A., Giazotto, A., Giordano, G., Gouaty, R., Grosjean, D., Guidi, G., Hebri, S., Heitmann, H., Hello, P., Holloway, L., Kreckelberg, S., La Penna, P., Loriette, V., Losurdo, G., Mackowski, J.-M., Majorana, E., Mantovani, M., Marion, F., Marque, J., Martelli, F., Masserot, A., Massonnet, L., Mazzoni, M., Milano, L., Moins, C., Moreau, J., Moreau, F., Morgado, N., Mornet, F., Mours, B., Pacheco, J., Pai, A., Palomba, C., Paoletti, F., Pardi, S., Passaquieti, R., Passuello, D., Piergiovanni, F., Pinard, L., Poggiani, R., Punturo, M., Puppo, P., Rapagnani, P., Reita, V., Ricci, F., Ricciardi, I., Ruggi, P., Russo, G., Solimeno, S., Spallicci, A., Tombolato, D., Tonelli, M., Tournefier, E., Travasso, F., Varvella, M., Vetrano, F., Viceré, A., Vinet, J.-Y., Yvert, M., Zhou, Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics; Gravitational wave detector; Interferometer; Optical system design; Physics; Sciences of the Universe; 0480Nn; 95.55.Br; 0705Dz; Gravitational wave detector; Optical system design; Interferometer; 0760Ly
• ISSN: 0143-8166; 1873-0302
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlaseng.2006.04.010

The interferometric gravitational wave detectors represent the ultimate evolution of the classical Michelson interferometer. In order to measure the signal produced by the passage of a gravitational wave, they aim to reach unprecedent sensitivities in measuring the relative displacements of the mirrors. One of them, the 3-km-long Virgo gravitational wave antenna, which will be particularly sensitive in the low-frequency range (10–100
Hz), is presently in its commissioning phase. In this paper the various techniques developed in order to reach its target extreme performance are outlined.