Research Projects
Support for the Einstein Telescope Preparatory Phase and Spain’s Participation in the European Gravitational Observatory
Support for the Einstein Telescope Preparatory Phase and Spain’s Participation in the European Gravitational Observatory
The Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities supports two complementary activities through IFAE: preparing the future Einstein Telescope and strengthening Spain’s institutional participation in the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO), which operates the Virgo gravitational-wave detector in Cascina, Italy.
For the Einstein Telescope, the funding supports IFAE’s work on the design and construction planning of the future European gravitational-wave observatory. This includes developing and testing vacuum system components, carrying out civil engineering studies and validating elements of the technical design. It also supports IFAE’s coordination work within the Einstein Telescope Organisation (ETO) and its collaboration with CERN, INFN and Nikhef.
For the European Gravitational Observatory, the funding enables Spanish scientists and technical staff to take a greater role in operating and maintaining Virgo. The work covers the detector’s optical, mechanical, electronic and vacuum systems, as well as its computing infrastructure. It also supports technical assistance, supervision and coordination at the observatory. This participation strengthens Spain’s contribution to Virgo, a scientific and technological precursor to the Einstein Telescope.
