1. Past Present Future

2. European Gravitational Observatory EGO “Raison d'être”, origin, structure & future perspectives Federico Ferrini – EGO Director

3. The VIRGO Collaboration  First studies: – Brillet (Nice): optics – Giazotto (Pisa): seismic isolation  Collaboration Italy - France established in 1992 CNRS and INFN approved the VIRGO project. 1997 Construction starts near Pisa The history of the project EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

4. Foundation of EGO in 2000 2004/2005 Commissioning 2006 Physics Netherlands: Nikhef joined EGO in 2006  EGO Council approved Advanced VIRGO in 2009 Poland (POLGRAW) & Hungary (RMKI) joined EGO in 2010 The history of the project EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

5. EGO: French-Italian Consortium to support & operate VIRGO EGO in synthesis and promote cooperation for gravitational waves physics in Europe

6. EGO Council (INFN/CNRS/ NIKHEF ) STAC Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee EGO Director F. FERRINI Virgo Spokesperson J.Y. VINET AdministrationSite & InfrastructureInterferometer operationComputing Technical Coordination for upgrades Directorate services EGO Staff ~ 65 FTE The Structure EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

7. President: Stavros Katsanevas Vice-President: Benedetto D’Ettorre CNRS delegates: Jean-Marie Hameury Pascale Rubin INFN delegates: Angelo Scribano Enrico Iacopini NIKHEF observer: Frank Linde Advisors: Isabelle Aleci Roberto Pellegrini EGO Council EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

8. STAC EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

9. EGO/VIRGO A large infrastructure : 3 km long arms: Δ L / L = 10 -21 60 ha of land; ~150000 m 3 of buildings The largest high vacuum system in Europe : 7000 m 3 P ≅ 10 -9 mbar High tech optics Several class 10 clean rooms 15000 m 3 thermo stabilized to +- 0.2 °C 600 kW electrical power 24h/24h data taking; 1 TB/day collected

10.  LAPP – Annecy  NIKHEF – Amsterdam  RMKI - Budapest  INFN – Firenze-Urbino  INFN – Genova  INFN – LNF  LMA – Lyon  INFN – Napoli  OCA – Nice  LAL – Orsay  APC – Paris  LKB - Paris  INFN – Padova-Trento  INFN – Perugia  INFN - Pisa  INFN – Roma 1  INFN – Roma 2  POLGRAV - Warsaw

11. The Consortium shall have as its purpose the promotion of research in the field of gravitation in Europe. EGO pursues the following objectives: “Ensures the construction of the antenna VIRGO, its operation, maintenance and upgrade as well as its exploitation.” EGO Aims according to Statute EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

12. EGO Functioning Human Resources: Staff: 64.5 FTE 36: Engineers and applied physicists Nationalities: Italy + 15 FTE: France, Germany, The Netherlands United Kingdom, Russia Financial Resources: CNRS (France) INFN (Italy) Nikhef (The Netherlands) RMKI (Hungary) Polgrav (Poland) EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

13. To ensures operation, maintenance and upgrade of the interferometer VIRGO: Infrastructures & laboratories: Optics Electronics Ultra-Vacuum Cryogenics Computing EGO Support to VIRGO EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

14. Optics Group: Main tasks Maintenance and support for all the on-site Virgo activity in which optical and electro-optical expertise is required, in particular: –Injection and detection system –Local controls –Locking –Alignment Involvement in commissioning activity: –Interferometer pre-alignment and automatic alignment –Injection system –Detection system –Diffused light –Thermal effects Reference within the collaboration for support in optics for Virgo. R&D activities, e.g. “High power input optical components for Advanced Virgo”. Main group involved in the Advanced Virgo INJ Subsystem

15. Electronic Group: Main Tasks Electronics Maintenance/Upgrade -Suspension electronics production, assembly and installation -Suspension electronics documentation, maintenance and upgrade -Injection System electronics maintenance support Commissioning support -Injection System electronics characterization and troubleshooting -Environmental Monitoring characterization -Specific devices electronics modification Advanced Virgo -Development of the Electronic needed for the INJ Subsystem -Electronic Standardisation

16. Operations group: Main Tasks Automation of ITF procedures –Coordination, maintenance, upgrades Detector Monitoring –Coordination, maintenance, requirement definitions, testing Training Operation of Clean Rooms –Management and maintenance Commissioning support –Mirror Suspension Control, –Alignment, –Noise hunting Partecipation to the SAT AdV Subsystem –In vacuum cabling –Superattenuator components assembly

17. EGO: Carries out research in the field of gravitation of common interest of the Members Promotes contacts among scientists and engineers, dissemination and training for young researchers Promotes co-operation on experimental and theoretical gravitational waves research in Europe EGO Aims on a larger horizon EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

18. Organization of II ASPERA Technology Forum 20-21 October 2011, focus on “Optics and Laser” Addressed both to the GW experiments and to the “traditional” telescopes (CTA, Magic, ….) Member of IDPASC, International Doctorate Network in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology, since 2011 Organization of ISAPP 2010, International School on Astro- Particle Physics: ”Early Universe & GWs” EU Researchers’ night partnership with INFN-LNF EGO Recent Actions EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

19. Established in 2004, the VIRGO EGO Scientific Forum is composed of 47 research groups active in the European scientific community. EGO & Training  A total of 18 fellowships with a two-year duration have been funded in Italy (7), Spain (3), France (2), Germany (2), Greece (1), Hungary (1), Poland (1) and UK (1).  A yearly school to introduce Physics students to gravitational waves is organized since 2006. In addition, VESF launched a complementary yearly school on GW Data Analysis in 2010. More than 150 graduating students were introduced to GW and to the techniques used to detect them. EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

20. Coordination of EU projects : 2004/2008 ILIAS (Integrated Large Infrastructures for AstroParticles Science) project, coordinator of the networking activity: GW Antenna 2008/2011 Einstein Telescope coordination and management of the project support to the ET science team interface with the EC reporting activity 2011/2015 ELiTES project coordination and management EGO & EU EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

21. EGO MTP 2012/2016 The main activities foreseen in the EGO Medium Term Plan  Construction of the Advanced VIRGO detector, 2011/2014.  Commissioning of AdV & early science run, 2015.  From 2016, AdV science run.  R&D and subsequent implementation necessary for a significant sensitivity increase of Advanced VIRGO beyond the design sensitivity, 2013/2016  Einstein Telescope in the framework of a European collaboration, to produce a Conceptual Design Report, and potentially continue with the Technical Design Report. EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

22. Present of GW research in Europe o There is a scientific case o There are scientific and technological competencies, developed locally in Laboratories o There are research infrastructures, thanks to the vision of National Agencies o There are industries which provided the high-tech components, acquiring know-how to be spent on the market o There are first class World-wide technology transfers and/or spin-off from EGO/VIRGO and GEO600: (a) mechanics (IT), (b) lasers (DE), (c) mirrors (FR & DE) o The two EU interferometers have done a common science run during summer 2011 o The National scientific communities have demonstrated to be able to cooperate on a common project (the Einstein Telescope) o There is a well consolidated management (EU grants, EU projects, science and technology workshops, R&D, training) EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

23.  EGO & GEO600  A multi-sited Research Infrastructure  Lead 3 rd Generation Interferometers  Local & Global The virtuous quadrilateral: Research Technology Collaboration Education An EUROPEAN STRATEGY for GW? EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

24. Three Steps:  Active participation in EU GW projects  Increase the participation of the National GW communities in Europe to EGO  Develop the dialogue with the GW communities in other regions of the World EUROPEAN STRATEGY for EGO EGO –ICRR Meeting 4/5 October 2011

25. Summary An efficient, responsive and light structure to support Virgo and promote European collaboration under supervision by national institutions EGO existence relies on Virgo/AdV success The future of GW in Europe depends upon a stronger collaboration between EU countries. EGO may prefigure the required infrastructure. Advanced VIRGO