Belgian-Dutch Gravitational Wave Meeting

Session

News from Belgian and Dutch GW facilities

9 Oct 2026, 10:30

Aula Magna

11. ET-CRISTAL: A full scale prototype of ET-LF seismic isolation

Thomas Giordano (University of Liège)

09/10/2026, 10:30

In order to reach the targeted low-frequency sensitivity of the Einstein Telescope, large cryogenic mirrors will have to be mounted on ultralow-frequency seismic isolation stages. In this context, ET-CRISTAL is developing a full-scale prototype suspending a 100 kg silicon test mass cooled to cryogenic temperatures by radiative cooling and isolated at low frequency from seismic noise. The...

28. ETpathfinder: prototyping low-frequency technologies for the Einstein Telescope

Elise Van den Bossche (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

09/10/2026, 10:50

The European third generation gravitational-wave detector Einstein Telescope will rely on cryogenics and silicon as mirror and suspension material to achieve unprecedented low-frequency sensitivity. Prototyping and characterisation of these new technologies on a system-level is needed to inform the design and future upgrades of the large-scale observatory. This is the mission of ETpathfinder,...

39. ET-OPT a Next Generation Prototype for ET-HF

Aaron Goodwin-Jones (UCLouvain)

09/10/2026, 11:10

The proposed Einstein Telescope high-frequency interferometers (ET-HF) in their nominal configuration are limited by coating Brownian thermal noise (CBTN) and quantum shot noise. Achieving the target sensitivity requires up to 3 MW of laser power with advanced optical coatings. At these power levels, thermo-elastic and thermo-optic effects induce wavefront distortions, causing transverse mode...