Astrophysicist outlines plans for the gravitational wave observatory on
the moon

Date:
July 22, 2021
Source:
Vanderbilt University
Summary:
Not a moonshot: Astronomers explore possibility of lunar observatory
to better understand fundamental physics, astronomy and cosmology.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Vanderbilt astrophysicist Karan Jani has led a series of studies that
make the first case for a gravitational wave infrastructure on the
surface of the moon.

The experiment, dubbed Gravitational-Wave Lunar Observatory for Cosmology,
uses the moon's environment and geocentric orbit to analyze mergers of
black holes, neuron stars and dark matter candidates within almost 70
percent of the entire observable volume of the universe, he said.


==========================================================================
"By tapping into the natural conditions on the moon, we showed that one
of the most challenging spectrum of gravitational waves can be measured
better from the lunar surface, which so far seems impossible from Earth
or space," Jani said.

"The moon offers an ideal backdrop for the ultimate gravitational wave observatory, since it lacks an atmosphere and noticeable seismic noise,
which we must mitigate at great cost for laser interferometers on Earth,"
said Avi Loeb, professor of science at Harvard University and bestselling author of books about black holes, the first stars, the search for extraterrestrial life and the future of the universe. "A lunar observatory would provide unprecedented sensitivity for discovering sources that
we do not anticipate and that could inform us of new physics. GLOC
could be the jewel in the crown of science on the surface of the moon."
This work comes as NASA revives its Artemis program, which aims to send
the first woman and the next man to the moon as early as 2024. Ongoing commercial work by aerospace companies, including SpaceX and BlueOrigin,
also has added to the momentum behind planning for ambitious scientific infrastructure on the surface of the moon.

"In the coming years, we hope to develop a pathfinder mission on
the moon to test the technologies of GLOC," Jani said. "Unlike space
missions that last only a few years, the great investment benefit of
GLOC is it establishes a permanent base on the moon from where we can
study the universe for generations, quite literally the entirety of this century." Currently the observatory is theoretical, with Jani and Loeb receiving a strong endorsement from the international gravitational-wave community.

"It was a great privilege to collaborate with an innovative young thinker
like Karan Jani," Loeb said. "He may live long enough to witness the
project come to fruition." The work was funded by the Stevenson Chair endowment funds at Vanderbilt University and the Black Hole Initiative
at Harvard University, which is funded by grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2j4E4YDzk ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Vanderbilt_University. Original
written by Marissa Shapiro. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. K. Jani, A. Loeb. Gravitational-wave Lunar Observatory for
Cosmology.

Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2021; 2021 (06):
044 DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2021/06/044 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210722162952.htm

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