-
Research & Graduate Education
- About Our Office
- Staff
- Newsletters
- Events
- Sponsored Projects Services
- Research Integrity
- Industry Alliances & Commercialization
- Institutes and Centers
- Graduate Education
- Center for Undergraduate Excellence
- Internal Funding Opportunities
- Policies and Guidance
- Statistical Consulting
- Ask the Experts Virtual Town Hall
- Resources
- Quarterly Research Data
- Archives
» Re-imagining Superconducting Gravitational Wave Detectors and Gravity Gradiometers
The third direction of major research at APL, and the next stop on the tour: gravitational wave detectors.
Advanced Physics Laboratory has successfully developed a concept for a new design of gravitational wave antenna (schematics pictured above). Our model is modest in size, about 10 meters in the xy-plane, and potentially orders of magnitude more sensitive than Advanced LIGO. It represents a design that is both environmentally pragmatic and scientifically provocative. It is well known that gravitational wave detectors may also serve as gravity gradiometers, i.e., instruments capable of detecting the motion of objects via perturbation of a gravity field caused by this motion.
Milestone for LIGO technology.
LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) antenna for gravitational waves detection, seen from high above. LIGO has two widely separated identical detector sites working in unison as a single "observatory": one in southeastern Washington State and the other in rural Livingston, Louisiana.-image: courtesy Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory
LIGO making waves in the scientific community.
In September, 2015, Advanced LIGO detected gravitational waves from a cosmic collision of two massive black holes, 1.3 billion light years away.
Developing distinct designs for new technologies begins here.
Advanced Physics Laboratory has dedicated more than five years of intensive research, collaboration, and experimentation towards gravitational wave detectors. More often than not, a white-board and markers become our launching-pad for scientific breakthroughs, both big and small.
As shown in this quadchart, our design allows for detection of a small cat from a 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) distance using its gravity field.
This model of gravitational wave detector, designed by Advanced Physics Laboratory, will be more sensitive than LIGO, but also efficiently smaller in size, allowing for both portability and resource-sharing practicality.
We've introduced our new design at several scientific meetings, reporting we are in process of development.
Our presentation attracted significant attention at the 11th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity, EUCAS-2013, in Genoa, Italy. APL colleagues attending from Germany were calling our model, "the most interesting finding at the conference."
Our cultivated concept is ready for capital.
APL's peer-reviewed proposal for a gravity gradiometer, based on our distinct design of novel gravitational wave detector, is actively seeking funds for the next stage of development, but we continue making scientific strides towards progress and essential contributions to many other fields.
For the Director of APL, "This is only the beginning!"
At APL, we share optimistic expectations for future developments of our innovative gravity detection concept. Undergraduates, graduates, and, of course, postgraduate researchers are all equally welcome to collaborate with the Senior Research Scientiest and Director of Advanced Physics Laboratory, Dr. Armen Gulian. Only by working together can we innovate the future!