Gravitational radiation antennas: history, observations, and lunar surface opportunities

Abstract

Elastic solid and interferometer antennas were developed at the University of Maryland beginning in 1958. Backgrounds of pulses were observed by the Universities of Rome and Maryland kilohertz antennas during the period 1969–1982, and during the Supernova 1987A period February 1987.The quadrupole modes of the moon have unusually large cross sections. The lunar surface is an excellent site for a long period accelerometer to observe the quadrupole modes, and for low frequency bar and interferometer antennas to observe gravitational radiation.