Aspects of Improvement in the Sensitivity of Long-Baseline Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors

Chapter 1 deals with the astrophysics of gravitational radiation, beginning with a brief review of relativity and introducing the equations that describe gravitational waves. The chapter then covers the most potentially exciting sources that the new generation of long baseline interferometers will search for. For completeness, the proposed ESA-funded mission to have an interferometer in space is mentioned, together with its role relative to ground based detectors. Chapter2 describes gravitational wave detectors, and particularly their design aspects in view