LIGO
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Physics
| Stands for | Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
LIGO stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, a physics abbreviation.
Pair of US observatories in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana, that detect gravitational waves using L-shaped laser interferometers with 4-kilometer arms. LIGO can sense changes in arm length smaller than a ten-thousandth of the width of a proton.
Example: LIGO's detection of colliding black holes opened an entirely new way of observing the universe.
Usage notes
On September 14, 2015, both detectors recorded GW150914, waves from two black holes merging about 1.3 billion light-years away; the discovery was announced in February 2016. Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne received the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. LIGO works with Virgo in Italy and KAGRA in Japan, and pronounces its name "LIE-go."
Related abbreviations
More physics abbreviations
- ITER – International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
- kB – Boltzmann constant
- KE – Kinetic energy
- laser – Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
- LHC – Large Hadron Collider
- lidar – Light detection and ranging
- maser – Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
- MHD – Magnetohydrodynamics
- NA – Avogadro constant
- NIF – National Ignition Facility
- NIR – Near-infrared
- PE – Potential energy