List of gravitational wave detectors (original) (raw)

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 8 September 2003

Laser interferometers

detector location position operational date arm length
in operation
(CalTech) PasadenaCalifornia, USA 34°10'N118°07'W 1983 38 m
(Garching) GarchingGermany 48°14'40"N11°40'30"E 1983 30 m
(Glasgow) GlasgowUnited Kingdom 55°52'N4°17'W 1980 10 m
(MIT) CambridgeMassachusetts, USA 42°22'N71°06'W 1970s 5 m
(Orsay) OrsayFrance 48°42'N2°12'E 1980s 5 m
(Pisa) PisaItaly 43°43'N10°24'E late 1980s 2 m
TAMA MitakaJapan 35°40'30"N139°32'10"E 20 m
TENKO-10 Japan late 1980s 10 m
GuangzhouPRC 23°10'N113°20'E late 1980s 3 m
BeijingPRC 40°00'N116°30'E late 1980s 0.5 m
GEO 600 HannoverGermany 52°14'42.528"N9°48'25.894"E 2002 600 m
LIGO-Hanford Hanford ReservationWashington, USA 46°27'8.5"N119°24'27.1"W 2002 4000 m
LIGO-Livingston LivingstonLouisiana, USA 30°33'46.0"N90°46'27.3"W 2002 4000 m
TAMA300 MitakaJapan 35°40'25"N139°32'21"E 1999? 300 m
VIRGO CascinaItaly 43°38'N10°30'E 2002? 3000 m
under construction
AIGO GinginWestern Australia, Australia 31°10'S115°50'E planned 3000 m?
Dulkyn KazanTatarstan, Russia 55°45'N49°10'E ? 1.5 m
TENKO-100 Johor BahruMalaysia 1°25'N103°45'E ? 100 m
formerly operating
(Forward) MalibuCalifornia, USA 34°00'N118°40'W 1978 2 m
BoulderColorado, USA 40°05'N105°15'W (2 years)
TENKO-100 SagamiharaJapan 35°34'04"N139°28'01"E -1997 100 m

Resonant bars

detector location position operational date bar temperature
in operation
ALLEGRO Baton RougeLouisiana 30°27'45"N91°10'44"W 1991 4.2 K
ALTAIR FrascatiItaly 41°48'N12°41'E 1980 2 K
AURIGA LengaroItaly 45°21'12"N11°56'54"E 1997 0.2 K
EXPLORER GenevaSwitzerland 46°27'N6°12'E 1989 2.6 K
NAUTILUS RomeItaly 41°49'26"N12°40'21"E 1994 0.1 K
NIOBE PerthWestern Australia, Australia 31°56'S115°49'E 1993 5.0 K
formerly operating
(Weber) College ParkMaryland, USA 39°00'N76°56'W 1963-1966 ambient
(Weber) College ParkMaryland, USA 39°00'N76°56'W 1966-? ambient
(Weber) College ParkMaryland, USA 39°00'N76°56'W 1966-? ambient
(Weber) College ParkMaryland, USA 39°00'N76°56'W 1968-? ambient
(Argonne) ChicagoIllinois, USA 41°43'N87°10'W 1968-1976? ambient
(Weber) College ParkMaryland, USA 39°00'N76°56'W ? ambient
(Bell Laboratories) Florham Park?New Jersey, USA 40°47'N74°23'W 1971 ambient
(Bell Laboratories) New Jersey, USA 40°N74°W 1971 ambient
(Max Planck Institute) MunichWest Germany 48°08'N11°35'E 1971-1974 ambient
(ESRIN) FrascatiItaly 41°48'N12°41'E 1971-1974 ambient
(Bell Laboratories) New Jersey, USA 40°N74°W 1972 ambient
(Garwin) 1973 ambient
(Braginksy) MoscowRussia, USSR 55°40'N37°40'E 1973 ambient
(Braginksy) MoscowRussia, USSR 55°40'N37°40'E 1973 ambient
(Bell Laboratories) New Jersey, USA 40°N74°W 1973-1981 ambient
RochesterNew York, USA 43°10'N77°37'W 1975? ambient
(Stanford) StanfordCalifornia, USA 37°25'N122°10'W 1970s? ambient
(Drever) GlasgowScotland, United Kingdom 55°55'N4°15'W 1975 ambient
(Drever) GlasgowScotland, United Kingdom 55°55'N4°15'W 1975 ambient
(Allen/ Christodoulides) ReadingEngland, United Kingdom 51°28'N0°59'W 1975 ambient
(Allen/ Christodoulides) ReadingEngland, United Kingdom 51°28'N0°59'W 1975 ambient
RochesterNew York, USA 43°10'N77°37'W 1978-1981 ambient
(Hirakawa/ Narihara) TokyoJapan 35°40'N139°30'E 1975 ambient
(Hirakawa/ Narihara) TokyoJapan 35°40'N139°30'E 1975 ambient
RomeItaly 41°49'N12°40'E 1978-1986 4.2 K
GEOGRAV RomeItaly 41°49'N12°40'E 1984-1988 ambient
(Stanford) StanfordCalifornia, USA 37°25'N122°10'W 1986-1989 2 K
Louisiana, USA 30°N91°W 1986 4 K?
CRAB III TokyoJapan 35°40'N139°30'E ? 4.2 K?
(Zhongshan Univ.) GuangzhouPRC 23°10'N113°20'E ? 300 K

Resonant spheres

detector location position operational date bar temperature
proposed
GRAVITON Sao Paulo?Brazil proposed 0.1 K
TIGA Louisiana, USA proposed 4 K?
MiniGRAIL LeidenNetherlands proposed 0.02 K

Space-based detectors

detector type location operational date notes
former
NASA/JPL DSN and Voyager 1/2 radio signal doppler tracking Earth-based Deep Space Network and Voyager 1/2 in outer solar system "one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Pioneer 10/11 radio signal doppler tracking Earth-based Deep Space Network and Pioneer 10/11 in outer solar system "one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Galileo radio signal doppler tracking Earth-based Deep Space Network and Galileo en route to Jupiter "one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Ulysses radio signal doppler tracking Earth-based Deep Space Network and Ulysses "one-arm" detector
planned
NASA/JPL DSN and Cassini radio signal doppler tracking Earth-based Deep Space Network and Cassini en route to Saturn planned 2001 "one-arm" detector
proposed
LISA(NASA/ESA) laser interferometer orbiting Sun at 1 AU, 20° behind Earth proposed 2009-2013 three spacecraft forming equilateral triangle, each side 5,000,000 km
OMEGA laser interferometer orbiting Earth at 600,000 km proposed four spacecraft forming equilateral triangle, each side 1,040,000 km (two spacecraft at one vertex, 5 km apart)

Notes: operational dates are dates of first efforts to detect gravitational waves; detectors generally have not operated continuously from those dates. For Earth-based laser interferometers, arm lengths are in meters. For bar detectors, operating temperatures are in degrees Kelvin.

© 2001, 2003 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 8 September 2003.
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