https://doi.org/10.1140/epjh/s13129-022-00036-x
Regular Article
EUROGRAV 1986–1989: the first attempts for a European Interferometric Gravitational Wave Observatory
1
Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
2
INFN Section of Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
a adele.larana@univr.it, Adele.LaRana@roma1.infn.it
Received:
27
August
2021
Accepted:
7
February
2022
Published online:
11
March
2022
At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, on the eve of the great leap in scale from the resonant bars to the long-baseline interferometers LIGO and Virgo, the four European groups then engaged in the field of interferometric gravitational wave detection in Germany, UK, France and Italy tried to set up a common strategy, with the aim of establishing a network of three long-based antennas in Europe. The paper analyzes the main causes of the failure of those early plans. An attempt is made to outline the parallels and differences with the current times, on the eve of the new leap of scale toward the third generation of gravitational wave interferometers, while the negotiations for the European-born project Einstein Telescope are taking place.
© The Author(s) 2022
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