Animation: effect of gravitational waves on test masses (2D)

Beam-splitter mirror and its payload suspended inside the tower (2014)

Beam-splitter mirror and its payload suspended inside the tower (2014)

The Advanced Virgo beam-splitter mirror an its payload have been inserted inside the vacuum tank and suspended to its suspension in December 2014.
In this picture, the mirror was still protected with a thin layer of polymer (seen in pink) to protect its surface.

Credits: Virgo Collaboration

Album: Instruments – Payloads/Suspensions/Mirrors

Categories: Abstract

Tags: #Suspended BS mirror payload

Read More

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes have located the supernova SN 2006gy in 2006

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes have located the supernova SN 2006gy in 2006

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ground-based optical telescopes have located the supernova SN 2006gy in 2006.
The top panel of the image is an artist’s impression of a supernova.
The bottom left panel is an optical observation and the bottom right panel is an X-ray observation. In these two panels, the supernova is the bright spot on top-right of the image. The nucleus of the galaxy where the supernova happened is the bottom spot.

Credit: Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss; X-ray: NASA/CXC/UC Berkeley/N.Smith et al.; IR: Lick/UC Berkeley/J.Bloom & C.Hansen

Album: Science – Astrophysical Sources

Categories: Abstract

Tags: #Supernova

Read More

Pulsar PSR B1509-58 observed by Chandra in X-rays.

Pulsar PSR B1509-58 observed by Chandra in X-rays.

Advanced Virgo will search for gravitational waves coming from known pulsars (neutron stars from which we receive periodic light flashes).

A pulsar is observed at the center of the image: it is a small, dense object only 20 km in diameter. It is responsible for this beautiful X-ray nebula that spans 150 light years.

Credits: NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al.

Album: Science – Astrophysical Sources

Categories: Abstract

Tags: #Pulsar Spinning Neutron Star

Read More

Sketch of a Virgo mirror suspension used to reduce the seismic noise

Sketch of a Virgo mirror suspension used to reduce the seismic noise

The Virgo suspension is about 8 meter high and is placed in a vacuum tank. It is composed of a series of pendulum that reduce the horizontal seismic vibrations that reach the mirrors. Horizontal vibration dampers are also visible. The last suspended element is a mirror payload.

Credits: Virgo Collaboration

Album: Instruments – Payloads/Suspensions/Mirrors

Categories: Abstract

Tags: #Mirror suspensionSuper-attenuator

Read More