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Figure 1:
The sensitivity of various gravitational-wave detection techniques across 13 orders of magnitude in frequency. At the low frequency end the sensitivity curves for pulsar timing arrays (based on current observations and future observations with the Square Kilometre Array [108]) are extrapolated from Figure 4 in [325]. In the mid-range LISA, DECIGO and BBO are described in more detail in Section 7, with the DECIGO and BBO sensitivity curves taken from models given in [323]. At the high frequency the sensitivities are represented by three generations of laser interferometers: LIGO, Advanced LIGO and the Einstein Telescope (see Sections 6, 6.3.1 and 6.3.2). Also included is a representative sensitivity for the AURIGA [88], Allegro [226] and Nautilus [239] bar detectors. |
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Figure 2:
Some possible sources for ground-based and space-borne detectors. |
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Figure 3:
Schematic of gravitational-wave detector using laser interferometry. |
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Figure 4:
Measured sensitivity of the initial LIGO interferometers during the S5 science run (see Section 6.1.2). Reproduced with permission from [213]. |
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Figure 5:
Internal stages of the large chamber seismic isolation system for Advanced LIGO (image is inverted for clarity). |
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Figure 6:
CAD drawing of quad suspension system for Advanced LIGO, showing the mirror test mass at the bottom and where the uppermost section is attached to the third stage platform of the large chamber seismic isolation system shown in Figure 5. |
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Figure 7:
Time-lapsed schematic illustrating the fluctuating gravitational force on a suspended mass by the propagation of a surface wave through the ground. |
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Figure 8:
Monolithic silica suspension of (a) GEO600 6 kg mirror test mass suspended from 4 fibres of thickness 250 µm and (b) prototype monolithic suspension for Advanced LIGO at LASTI (mirror mass of 40 kg, silica fibre thickness 400 µm). |
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Figure 9:
Michelson interferometers with (a) delay lines and (b) Fabry–Pérot cavities in the arms of the interferometer. |
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Figure 10:
The implementation of power recycling on a Michelson interferometer with Fabry–Pérot cavities. |
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Figure 11:
The implementation of signal recycling on a Michelson interferometer with Fabry–Pérot cavities. |
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Figure 12:
The 10 m prototype gravitational wave detector at Glasgow. |
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Figure 13:
A bird’s eye view of the LIGO detector, sited in Hanford, Washington. |
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Figure 14:
A time-line of the science runs of the first generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors, from their first lock to mid-2011. |
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Figure 15:
The best strain sensitivities from the LIGO science runs S1 through S6 [213]. The S6 curve is preliminary and based on h(t) data that has not been completely reviewed and may be subject to change. Also shown is the LIGO 4 km design sensitivity. |
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Figure 16:
The typical strain sensitivities from the GEO600 science runs S1 through S5 [150]. Also shown is the theoretical noise budget for the detector when tuned to 550 Hz – the operating position for the S5 run. |
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Figure 17:
The best strain sensitivities from the Virgo weekend and full time science runs WSR1, WSR10, VSR1 and VSR2 [305, 57]. |
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Figure 18:
Design sensitivity curves for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and LCGT second-generation detectors. The Advanced LIGO curve comes from [166], the Advanced Virgo curve comes from [67], and the LCGT curve comes from [82]. These curves are based on specific configurations of the detectors and are therefore subject to change. |
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Figure 19:
Potential sensitivities of the Einstein Telescope for 3 different design concepts: ET-B [174], ET-C [175] and ET-D [178]. The curves are available from [137] |
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Figure 20:
A design sensitivity amplitude spectral density curve for LISA created using the standard parameters in the online generator at [208]. The curve assumes equal length arms, sensitivity averaged over the whole sky and all polarisations, and an SNR of 1. Also included is a curve showing the expected background noise from galactic white-dwarf–binary systems, which will dominate over the instrumental noise in the range from ![]() |
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Figure 21:
The proposed LISA detector. |
http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2011-5 |
Living Rev. Relativity 14, (2011), 5
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