{"id":27851,"date":"2022-11-30T14:35:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T14:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=27851"},"modified":"2022-12-02T09:32:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T09:32:50","slug":"inside-virgo-europes-flagship-gravitational-wave-detector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/inside-virgo-europes-flagship-gravitational-wave-detector\/27851\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Virgo: Europe\u2019s flagship gravitational wave detector"},"content":{"rendered":"
Designed for the purpose of detecting gravitational waves from astrophysical sources, Virgo is a laser interferometer with two perpendicular, 3km-long arms. Originally approved by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in the early 1990s, the VIRGO gravitational wave detector was constructed just outside of Pisa, Italy, at the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO). EGO is responsible for ensuring the functioning, maintenance, and operation of the Virgo detector. It is also in charge of the site infrastructure, the computing centre, and the promotion of several R&D activities.<\/p>\n
Virgo started as an initiative of Italy and France. EGO, the institution that hosts the Virgo detector, was funded by INFN\u00a0 and CNRS. In 2021, they were joined by the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef). Over the last 20+ years, the Virgo Collaboration has been joined by 146 laboratories located in 14 countries, with a total of over 700 scientists working in the Virgo Collaboration.<\/p>\n
The Innovation Platform<\/em> spoke to Giancarlo Cella, INFN Researcher and Data Analysis Coordinator of Virgo, to learn more about Virgo, including its capabilities and recent activities.<\/p>\n