Pushing the boundaries of gravitational wave detection
成果类型：
Editorial Material
署名作者：
Aso, Yoichi
署名单位：
National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) - Japan; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
刊物名称：
SCIENCE
ISSN/ISSBN：
0036-10756
DOI：
10.1126/science.ads1544
发表日期：
2024-09-20
页码：
1275-1276
关键词：
摘要：
The detection of ripples in spacetime, which are known as gravitational waves (GWs), has emerged as a critical frontier in modern astrophysics. Indeed, kilometer-scale detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), have provided insights into energetic astronomical events, including the mergers of black holes and neutron stars. It is remarkable that the sensitivity of such large detectors is limited by quantum-mechanical fluctuations, which usually become relevant only in microscopic systems like atoms. On page 1318 of this issue, Jia et al. (1) report that an upgrade to LIGO reduces quantum noise across a wide range of frequencies. This improved sensitivity should extend the reach of GW observatories and invigorate the broader quest to understand the quantum underpinnings of the Universe.