Are All Four GW Detectors Currently Operational for Simultaneous Observing?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the operational status of the four gravitational wave (GW) detectors: two from LIGO, one from GEO, and one from Virgo. Participants explore whether these detectors are currently functioning simultaneously for observational purposes, and the implications this has for the precision of source localization in gravitational wave astronomy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks confirmation on whether all four detectors are operational simultaneously, suggesting that this would enhance precision in locating sources of gravitational waves.
  • Another participant argues that GEO is not sensitive enough to contribute significantly to detections unless a very powerful signal is present, and notes that the websites for these detectors are often outdated.
  • A different participant provides technical details about GEO's sensitivity and its historical performance in joint observing runs, expressing concern over the lack of updates from the LIGO-Virgo collaboration regarding their operational status.
  • One participant suggests that the lack of website updates may not be a deliberate choice, but rather due to a lack of resources for maintaining the site, indicating that the scientific community relies on other communication methods.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the operational status and sensitivity of the GEO detector, as well as the implications of outdated information on the collaboration's websites. There is no consensus on whether all four detectors are currently operational or the impact of GEO's sensitivity on the overall observational capabilities.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations regarding the sensitivity of GEO compared to LIGO and Virgo, and the potential impact of outdated information on public interest in gravitational wave research. There are unresolved questions about the operational status of the detectors and the reasons behind the lack of updates.

RockyMarciano
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The second LIGO observational run started last year and according to Wikipedia the germany and italy based GWs detectors Geo600 and Virgo are already operational, I would like to confirm whether as of now the 4 detectors(2 from LIGO,1 GEO and 1 VIRGO) are simultaneously fully operative.
I would expect that if this is the case a much better precision in locating the sources of possible detections can be achieved than what was possible only with 2, but it is hard to know just by looking at the official pages if the 4 detector are currently in a joint observing run.
 
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GEO is not sensitive enough to contribute notably (unless there is a really powerful signal), it is mainly used to test new technologies.

The websites are notoriously outdated. Virgo tells us that they will start taking data in 2016.
A recent letter from February 2017 expects "a few more months" of commissioning.
 
Thanks for the info.
According to wikipedia Geo peak sensitivity is 2×10^-22, like ten times less sensitive than advanced Ligo(and close to Virgo) but enough to detect nearer or stronger signals. According to the page it is also in the joint observing run 02 and it was in 01 although apparently it wasn't sensitive enough to detect GW151226. In the first GW detection it didn't have the detectors connected as it was in engineering mode.

I'm not sure the Ligo-Virgo scientific collaboration policy of not frequently updating their websites is the best in a context of plummeting interest on GWs after the initial uproar. Oddly the letter linked seems to show some signs of unexplained distrust from the journal perceived by the collaboration.
 
Not updating a website does not need an active decision - quite the opposite.
Various collaborations just don't have someone taking care of the website. It is not of large scientific interest, as the colleagues rely more on other communication channels.
 
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