Abstract
Gravitational waves from binary black hole and neutron star mergers are being regularly detected. As of 2021, 90 confident gravitational wave detections have been made by the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Work is ongoing to further increase the sensitivity of the detectors for the fourth observing run, including installing some of the A+ upgrades designed to lower the fundamental noise that limits the sensitivity to gravitational waves. In this review, we will provide an overview of the LIGO detectors optical configuration and lock acquisition procedure, discuss the detectors’ fundamental and technical noise limits, show the current measured sensitivity, and explore the A+ upgrades currently being installed in the detectors.
Highlights
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Powerful black hole and neutron star mergers are revealed by their imprint on spacetime itself, traveling to the Earth from the distant past, carrying a wealth of information about the events that created them
Advanced LIGO has already revolutionized our understanding of astrophysics and astronomy, with 90 detections of gravitational waves
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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