The Large-Scale Cryogenic Gravitational Wave Telescope (KAGRA) Group announced today that the L-shaped 7 km tunnel underground Mt. Ikenoyama, Kamioka, is now complete and ready to host the 3-km-scale cryogenic interferometer designed to directly detect gravitational waves for the fist time in history. KAGRA is principally operated by ICRR, with two main joint-research institutions, KEK and NAOJ, involving 231 scientists from 31 institutions worldwide.
KAGRA is the only kilometer-scale gravitational wave detector in the world ever to be constructed underground where the seismic noise level is low (a hundredth of that of the ground surface). At the end of March 2014, the KAGRA group completed the excavation of its underground tunnel which has a total length of 7,697 m with two 3-km arms, setting an important milestone for the completion of the tunnel today.
The collaboration will soon start the installation of laboratory facilities and detector components, in preparation for the initial operation at the end of 2015. The full-scale operation is planned to start in JFY2017.
| Date&Time： | July 4, 2014 |
| Press Tour: | 13: 20-14:10 (13:00 Reception) |
| Press Conference: | 15:00-15:30 (14:30 Reception) |
| Venue: | Hokubu Building, 238 Higashi-Mozumi, Kamioka-cho, Hida, Gifu |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Details: | http://gwcenter.icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
| Speaker: | President of the University of Tokyo ・・・・・・Junichi Hamada
Director of ICRR ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Prof. Takaaki Kajita Head of Gravitational Wave Project Office, ICRR ・Prof. Masatake Ohashi |
| Contents: | ① Address・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Junichi Hamada
② Briefing: KAGRA and the Completed Tunnel ・・・・・・・Takaaki Kajita |
| Moderator: | Assoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki Gravitational Wave Project Office, ICRR |
| 13:00 | Reception at Hokubu Building
238 Higashi-Mozumi, Kamioka-cho, Hida, Gifu |
| 13:20 | Group Transportation to the KAGRA’s Underground Tunnel
Transportation: microbus (Helmets are provided) Escort: Assoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki (ICRR) |
| 13:40 | KAGRA Tunnel Tour The fist floor and the second floor of the Central Lab. |
| 14:10 | Return: Depart from the KAGRA Tunnel Entrance |
| 14:30 | Gravitational Wave Project Office (GWPO) Transfer to the Press Conference room. |
KAGRA-PR: Assoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki
PR Office: Misato Hayashida
TEL: 04-7136-5148
E-mail: misato@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp
1. Image Data(Please refer to credit.txt for credits.)
KAGRA Tunnel movies (111MB)
KAGRA Tunnel photos (103MB)
2. KAGRA Introduction Movie (Japanese) – July 4, 2014
2014.03.31 [Press Release] Excavation of KAGRA’s 7 km Tunnel Now Complete
2013.12.06[Feature] KAGRA’s Y-arm tunnel now complete
ICRR KAGRA Homepage
