LIGO Advanced Detector R&D Program Proposal (Group Proposal)

激光干涉仪引力波天文台（LIGO）的目标是探测引力波辐射，并开辟引力波天体物理学的全新领域。支持LIGO建设的研发工作将于1998财政年度完成，大约80%的建设资金已经支出，系统的集成工作已经开始。到2001年底，经过一段时间的调试和预操作，该设施预计将达到其应变灵敏度10^-21的初始设计目标。一项为期两年的科学考察计划于2002年初开始。然而，全面的LIGO科学将要求LIGO配备比最初安装的引力波探测器更灵敏的引力波探测器。加州理工学院和麻省理工学院将开展一项研究和开发计划，从而显著提高初始LIGO干涉仪子系统的灵敏度。这项活动，连同LIGO科学计划中其他参与者之间的协调活动，正在为制造新的、更敏感的子系统做准备，这些子系统最早将于2004年开始安装，大约需要五年时间。通过这些升级，LIGO的灵敏度将提高10到100倍。

The goal of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is to detect gravitational radiation and to open the entirely new field of gravitational-wave astrophysics. The R&D in support of the construction of LIGO will be completed in FY 1998, about 80% of the total construction funds have been expended, and the integration of the systems has begun. By the end of 2001, after a period of commissioning and pre-operations, the facility is expected to reach its initial design goal of 10^-21 in strain sensitivity. A scientific run lasting about two years is scheduled to begin in early 2002.However, the full scope of LIGO science will require that LIGO be equipped with gravitational-wave detectors that are more sensitive than those installed initially. Caltech and MIT will conduct a program of research and development, leading to significant improvements in the sensitivity of the initial LIGO interferometer subsystems. This activity, together with coordinated activities among other participants in the LIGO scientific program, is in preparation for the fabrication of new, more sensitive subsytems to be installed over a period of about five years beginning as early as 2004. With these upgrades the sensitivity of LIGO will be improved by a factor of 10 to 100.