About Gravitational Wave Science Project
Gravitational waves are waves propagated by the distortion of space-time, predicted by Einstein in 1916 and first directly detected by the American gravitational wave telescope LIGO in 2015, almost 100 years later.
Gravitational waves are a new eye that joins light (electromagnetic waves), cosmic rays, and neutrinos used in conventional cosmological observations to provide us with previously unseen images of the universe, such as the merging of black holes.
The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Gravitational Wave Project is conducting the following research and development to further develop gravitational waves astronomy, which has just begun.
- Large-scale Cryogenic Gravitational Wave Telescope KAGRA: A large laser interferometer with a baseline length of 3 km, constructed in an underground tunnel in Kamioka, Gifu Prefecture. It is constructed and operated in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and KEK.
- TAMA300: A 300-meter baseline laser interferometer installed at the Mitaka Campus of National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, where basic research for KAGRA and next-generation interferometers is being conducted.
- Study and research and development for future plans such as Next Generation Space Telescope and Next Generation Ground-based Gravitational Waves Telescope.
Photo of KAGRA and Illustration of the gravitational waves
