The laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory (LIGO) project: Overview and status

The LIGO Project* is a joint effort between the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to build and operate a novel astronomical observatory that directly senses gravitational waves, and in doing so open a new observational window to the universe. Construction is well underway at the two observatory sites: Hanford, Washington and Livingston Parish, Louisiana. Installation of detector components is planned to begin in the spring of 1998 with the first data run at the designed strain sensitivity of h similar to 2 x 10(-23)m/root(Hz) scheduled to begin in 2002.