List of gravitational wave detectors


compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 8 September 2003

Laser interferometers

detectorlocationpositionoperational datearm length
in operation
(CalTech)Pasadena
California, USA
34°10'N
118°07'W
198338 m
(Garching)Garching
Germany
48°14'40"N
11°40'30"E
198330 m
(Glasgow)Glasgow
United Kingdom
55°52'N
4°17'W
198010 m
(MIT)Cambridge
Massachusetts, USA
42°22'N
71°06'W
1970s5 m
(Orsay)Orsay
France
48°42'N
2°12'E
1980s5 m
(Pisa)Pisa
Italy
43°43'N
10°24'E
late 1980s2 m
TAMAMitaka
Japan
35°40'30"N
139°32'10"E
20 m
TENKO-10
Japan
late 1980s10 m
Guangzhou
PRC
23°10'N
113°20'E
late 1980s3 m
Beijing
PRC
40°00'N
116°30'E
late 1980s0.5 m
GEO 600Hannover
Germany
52°14'42.528"N
9°48'25.894"E
2002600 m
LIGO-HanfordHanford Reservation
Washington, USA
46°27'8.5"N
119°24'27.1"W
20024000 m
LIGO-LivingstonLivingston
Louisiana, USA
30°33'46.0"N
90°46'27.3"W
20024000 m
TAMA300Mitaka
Japan
35°40'25"N
139°32'21"E
1999?300 m
VIRGOCascina
Italy
43°38'N
10°30'E
2002?3000 m
under construction
AIGOGingin
Western Australia, Australia
31°10'S
115°50'E
planned3000 m?
DulkynKazan
Tatarstan, Russia
55°45'N
49°10'E
?1.5 m
TENKO-100Johor Bahru
Malaysia
1°25'N
103°45'E
?100 m
formerly operating
(Forward)Malibu
California, USA
34°00'N
118°40'W
19782 m
Boulder
Colorado, USA
40°05'N
105°15'W
(2 years)
TENKO-100Sagamihara
Japan
35°34'04"N
139°28'01"E
-1997100 m

Resonant bars

detectorlocationpositionoperational datebar temperature
in operation
ALLEGROBaton Rouge
Louisiana
30°27'45"N
91°10'44"W
19914.2 K
ALTAIRFrascati
Italy
41°48'N
12°41'E
19802 K
AURIGALengaro
Italy
45°21'12"N
11°56'54"E
19970.2 K
EXPLORERGeneva
Switzerland
46°27'N
6°12'E
19892.6 K
NAUTILUSRome
Italy
41°49'26"N
12°40'21"E
19940.1 K
NIOBEPerth
Western Australia, Australia
31°56'S
115°49'E
19935.0 K
formerly operating
(Weber)College Park
Maryland, USA
39°00'N
76°56'W
1963-1966ambient
(Weber)College Park
Maryland, USA
39°00'N
76°56'W
1966-?ambient
(Weber)College Park
Maryland, USA
39°00'N
76°56'W
1966-?ambient
(Weber)College Park
Maryland, USA
39°00'N
76°56'W
1968-?ambient
(Argonne)Chicago
Illinois, USA
41°43'N
87°10'W
1968-1976?ambient
(Weber)College Park
Maryland, USA
39°00'N
76°56'W
?ambient
(Bell Laboratories)Florham Park?
New Jersey, USA
40°47'N
74°23'W
1971ambient
(Bell Laboratories)
New Jersey, USA
40°N
74°W
1971ambient
(Max Planck Institute)Munich
West Germany
48°08'N
11°35'E
1971-1974ambient
(ESRIN)Frascati
Italy
41°48'N
12°41'E
1971-1974ambient
(Bell Laboratories)
New Jersey, USA
40°N
74°W
1972ambient
(Garwin)
1973ambient
(Braginksy)Moscow
Russia, USSR
55°40'N
37°40'E
1973ambient
(Braginksy)Moscow
Russia, USSR
55°40'N
37°40'E
1973ambient
(Bell Laboratories)
New Jersey, USA
40°N
74°W
1973-1981ambient
Rochester
New York, USA
43°10'N
77°37'W
1975?ambient
(Stanford)Stanford
California, USA
37°25'N
122°10'W
1970s?ambient
(Drever)Glasgow
Scotland, United Kingdom
55°55'N
4°15'W
1975ambient
(Drever)Glasgow
Scotland, United Kingdom
55°55'N
4°15'W
1975ambient
(Allen/ Christodoulides)Reading
England, United Kingdom
51°28'N
0°59'W
1975ambient
(Allen/ Christodoulides)Reading
England, United Kingdom
51°28'N
0°59'W
1975ambient
Rochester
New York, USA
43°10'N
77°37'W
1978-1981ambient
(Hirakawa/ Narihara)Tokyo
Japan
35°40'N
139°30'E
1975ambient
(Hirakawa/ Narihara)Tokyo
Japan
35°40'N
139°30'E
1975ambient
Rome
Italy
41°49'N
12°40'E
1978-19864.2 K
GEOGRAVRome
Italy
41°49'N
12°40'E
1984-1988ambient
(Stanford)Stanford
California, USA
37°25'N
122°10'W
1986-19892 K

Louisiana, USA
30°N
91°W
19864 K?
CRAB IIITokyo
Japan
35°40'N
139°30'E
?4.2 K?
(Zhongshan Univ.)Guangzhou
PRC
23°10'N
113°20'E
?300 K

Resonant spheres

detectorlocationpositionoperational datebar temperature
proposed
GRAVITONSao Paulo?
Brazil
proposed0.1 K
TIGA
Louisiana, USA
proposed4 K?
MiniGRAILLeiden
Netherlands
proposed0.02 K

Space-based detectors

detectortypelocationoperational datenotes
former
NASA/JPL DSN and Voyager 1/2radio signal doppler trackingEarth-based Deep Space Network and Voyager 1/2 in outer solar system"one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Pioneer 10/11radio signal doppler trackingEarth-based Deep Space Network and Pioneer 10/11 in outer solar system"one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Galileoradio signal doppler trackingEarth-based Deep Space Network and Galileo en route to Jupiter"one-arm" detector
NASA/JPL DSN and Ulyssesradio signal doppler trackingEarth-based Deep Space Network and Ulysses"one-arm" detector
planned
NASA/JPL DSN and Cassiniradio signal doppler trackingEarth-based Deep Space Network and Cassini en route to Saturnplanned 2001"one-arm" detector
proposed
LISA
(NASA/ESA)
laser interferometerorbiting Sun at 1 AU, 20° behind Earthproposed 2009-2013three spacecraft forming equilateral triangle, each side 5,000,000 km
OMEGAlaser interferometerorbiting Earth at 600,000 kmproposedfour 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.
Return to Home. Return to LIGO. Return to Relativistic physics.