Abstract
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its sister project Virgo aim for the first direct detections of gravitational waves. Such detections will provide not only a test of general relativity, but also a fundamental, new probe into the Universe. To achieve this goal, LIGO and Virgo use laser interferometers to monitor changes in the relative separation of mirrors at the ends of each of two perpendicular arms of km-scale length, in response to the space-time distortions induced by the passage of gravitational waves. This paper gives an overview of the status and the science of LIGO and Virgo, with selected results from the initial detector phase and predictions for the enhanced and advanced detector configurations.
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