The ET R&D project is organized in five Work Packages:

  • WP1, "ET’s scientific potential", chaired by Sathyaprakash (Cardiff University/UK), having the following objectives:
    • Carry out a series of mock ET data and science challenges of increasing complexity
    • Explore how well astrophysical models of GW sources could be tested with ET
    • Investigate possible strong field tests of GR with ET
    • Probe ET’s potential for understanding the geometry and dynamics of the Universe
  • WP2, "Long term seismic and GGN studies of selected sites", chaired by Nikhef (Netherlands), having the following objectives:
    • Studies at candidate sites
    • Sensor and network development
    • Modeling of seismic and GGN noise
  • WP3, "Optical properties of silicon at cryogenic temperatures", chaired by Ronny Nawrodt (Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Germany), having the following objectives:
    • Stress induced birefringence of silicon-based optic
    • Homogeneity of optical properties within larger samples
    • Homogeneity of optical properties within larger samples
    • Investigation of Whispering Gallery Mode Oscillators made of silicon to probe absorption and scattering
  • WP4, "ET Control systems", chaired by Andreas Freise (Birmingham University, UK)),having the following objectives:
    • Mitigation scheme for radiation pressure effects for the ET-HF interferometer.
    • Control scheme for the injection of frequency dependent squeezed light.
    • Low-frequency control scheme for the ET-LF interferometer.
    • Mitigation scheme for correlated noise in co-located interferometers.
    • Contamination of potential null stream signals by technical noises.
  • WP4, "Management", chaired by Harald Lück (Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany), addressed to the overall management of the project