LIGO Scientific Collaboration
Encyclopedia
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a collaboration by numerous physics institutes and research groups dedicated to the search for gravitational waves using the detectors
LIGO
and GEO 600
. Under an agreement with the European Gravitational Observatory
(EGO
), LSC members also have access to data from the Virgo
detector
, forming a joint effort informally known as the LSC-Virgo Collaboration.
Gravitational wave detector
A gravitational wave detector is any experiment designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational...
LIGO
LIGO
LIGO, which stands for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, is a large-scale physics experiment aiming to directly detect gravitational waves. Cofounded in 1992 by Kip Thorne and Ronald Drever of Caltech and Rainer Weiss of MIT, LIGO is a joint project between scientists at MIT,...
and GEO 600
GEO 600
GEO 600 is a gravitational wave detector located near Sarstedt, Germany. This instrument, and its sister interferometric detectors, when operational, are some of the most sensitive gravitational wave detectors ever designed...
. Under an agreement with the European Gravitational Observatory
European Gravitational Observatory
The European Gravitational Observatory or EGO is located in the countryside near Pisa in the Comune of Cascina. In order to ensure the long term scientific exploitation of the VIRGO interferometric antenna for gravitational waves detection as well as to foster European collaboration in this...
(EGO
European Gravitational Observatory
The European Gravitational Observatory or EGO is located in the countryside near Pisa in the Comune of Cascina. In order to ensure the long term scientific exploitation of the VIRGO interferometric antenna for gravitational waves detection as well as to foster European collaboration in this...
), LSC members also have access to data from the Virgo
Virgo interferometer
The Virgo is a gravitational wave detector in Italy, which commenced operations in 2007. It is one of a handful of the world's major experiments working towards the observation of gravitational waves....
detector
Gravitational wave detector
A gravitational wave detector is any experiment designed to measure gravitational waves, minute distortions of spacetime that are predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. The existence of gravitational radiation is a prediction of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Gravitational...
, forming a joint effort informally known as the LSC-Virgo Collaboration.