Criteria for identifying and evaluating locations that could potentially host the Cosmic Explorer observatories
Cosmic Explorer is a next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory that is being designed in the 2020s and is envisioned to begin operations in the 2030s together with the Einstein Telescope in Europe. The Cosmic Explorer concept currently consists of two widely separated L-shaped observatories in the United States, one with 40 km-long arms and the other with 20 km-long arms. This order of magnitude increase in scale with respect to the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observatories will, together with technological improvements, deliver an order of magnitude greater astronomical reach, allowing access to gravitational waves from remnants of the first stars and opening a wide discovery aperture to the novel and unknown. In addition to pushing the reach of gravitational-wave astronomy, Cosmic Explorer endeavors to approach the lifecycle of large scientific facilities in a way that prioritizes mutually beneficial relationships with local and Indigenous communities. This article describes the (scientific, cost and access, and social) criteria that will be used to identify and evaluate locations that could potentially host the Cosmic Explorer observatories.
Authors
- W. H. Bristol
- Christopher A. Scholz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7178-7619)
- Vuk Mandic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6333-8621)
- J. Read (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3923-1055)
- S. Ballmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2306-523X)
- Joseph Hoover (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2566-8042)
- A. Effler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8242-3944)
- K. Kuns (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0630-3902)
- K. A. Pham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7650-1034)
- D. H. Shoemaker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4147-2560)
- Chris Lukinbeal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1827-7764)
- Kathryne J. Daniel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2594-8052)
- Geoffrey Lovelace (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7084-1070)
- Joshua B. Russell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3251-2919)
- F. Schiettekatte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2112-9378)
- J. R. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0638-9670)
- M. Evans (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8459-4499)
- Piper Sledge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9615-6912)
- R. M. S. Schofield (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6514-8693)
- Amber Strunk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7707-4348)
- Jennifer C Driggers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6134-7628)
- M. Landry
Institutions
- University of Minnesota (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- California State University, Fullerton (US)
- University of Oregon (US)
- LIGO Scientific Collaboration (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Université de Montréal (CA)
- Syracuse University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Review of Scientific Instruments
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0242016
- Primary Topic
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation