Installation of a worldwide unique technology in the German-British gravitational wave observatory GEO600 is documented in a video diary

The first series will start on 06.16.2009 at 11 a.m. during the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) Launch Luncheon, Wissenschaftsforum Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany presented by the President of the DFG, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kleiner

June 10, 2009

GEO600

The GEO600 gravitational wave observatory in Ruthe near Hannover is a major research project involving the Hannover QUEST Excellence Cluster. Together with the American LIGO detectors and the French-Italian Virgo project, the endeavour is being undertaken to directly measure the gravitational waves first predicted by Albert Einstein. This would make it possible to see and hear areas of our universe, as well as to better understand space and time.

The measurement of gravitational waves is an international challenge because extremely powerful and precise measurement technologies are required to monitor these weak signals. The QUEST and GEO600 scientists in Hannover are world leaders in this field. For example, they have developed new methods in laser cooling and atom interferometry that make it possible to use the quantum nature of light and matter particles as tools.

GEO600 is regarded as a think tank for gravitational wave detectors. While partner projects are currently preparing for the next round of measurements, using the most advanced lasers in the world for the first time – that were themselves developed in Hannover - GEO600 is already one step further. In the coming months GEO600 will, for the first time, be working with compressed light and a compressed vacuum - technologies that will be used in the next generation of gravitational wave observatories.

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