Abstract

The scientific goals of the Laser Interferometric Gravitaional-wave Observatory (LIGO) project are to detect and study gravitational waves as they pass by the earth. Like electromagnetic waves they are transverse excitations propagating at the speed of light. LIGO is sensitive to a low frequency gravitational radiation band, 0.1 - 10 kHz, predicted to include the characteristic modes of cataclysmic astrophysical sources of interest. These waves produce a local strain in space [time] analogous to the electric field stress in light. This appears as any other mechanical strain and is detected by measuring change in spatial separations of reference points (e.g. mirror surfaces).

© 1996 Optical Society of America