New device gives LIGO 10x boost to spot distant gravitational waves

Researchers have developed a new device called FROSTI (FROnt Surface Type Irradiator) that significantly enhances the sensitivity of LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, by correcting laser-induced distortions on its mirrors. Gravitational waves, which are faint ripples in spacetime caused by cosmic events like black hole mergers, require extremely sensitive detection methods. Increasing laser power improves detection range but causes slight heating and warping of LIGO’s mirrors, which diminishes signal clarity. FROSTI addresses this by projecting controlled heat patterns onto the mirror surfaces to counteract these distortions without adding noise, enabling LIGO to operate effectively at much higher laser powers. This innovation allows gravitational-wave observatories to detect signals from much farther away, potentially increasing the observable volume of the universe by about ten times. This boost could enable astronomers to observe millions of black hole and neutron star mergers and other cosmic phenomena currently beyond detection. The FROSTI system