{"id":4732,"date":"2014-07-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www-v2.icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp\/prwps\/news_en\/4732\/"},"modified":"2019-09-26T16:48:12","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T07:48:12","slug":"press-conference-press-tour-milestone-underground-tunnel-for-kagra-completed","status":"publish","type":"news_en","link":"https:\/\/www.icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp\/en\/news_en\/4732\/","title":{"rendered":"[Press Conference \/ Press Tour] Milestone: Underground Tunnel for KAGRA Completed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, setting an important milestone for the completion of the tunnel today.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Press Conference<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n Date&Time\uff1a<\/td>\nJuly 4, 2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Press Tour:<\/td>\n13: 20-14:10 (13:00 Reception)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Press Conference:<\/td>\n15:00-15:30 (14:30 Reception)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Venue:<\/td>\nHokubu Building, 238 Higashi-Mozumi, Kamioka-cho, Hida, Gifu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Language:<\/td>\nJapanese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Details:<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/gwcenter.icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Speaker:<\/td>\nPresident of the University of Tokyo \u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fbJunichi Hamada<\/p>\n

Director of ICRR \u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fbProf. Takaaki Kajita<\/p>\n

Head of Gravitational Wave Project Office, ICRR \u30fbProf. Masatake Ohashi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n Contents:<\/td>\n\u2460 Address\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fbJunichi Hamada<\/p>\n

\u2461 Briefing: KAGRA and the Completed Tunnel \u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fb\u30fbTakaaki Kajita<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n Moderator:<\/td>\nAssoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki
\nGravitational Wave Project Office, ICRR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
KAGRA Tunnel Press Tour<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
13:00<\/td>\nReception at Hokubu Building<\/p>\n

238 Higashi-Mozumi, Kamioka-cho, Hida, Gifu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

13:20<\/td>\nGroup Transportation to the KAGRA’s Underground Tunnel<\/p>\n

Transportation: microbus (Helmets are provided)<\/p>\n

Escort: Assoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki (ICRR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

13:40<\/td>\nKAGRA Tunnel Tour
\nThe fist floor and the second floor of the Central Lab.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14:10<\/td>\nReturn: Depart from the KAGRA Tunnel Entrance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14:30<\/td>\nGravitational Wave Project Office (GWPO)
\nTransfer to the Press Conference room.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Media Contact for Further Inquiries<\/div>\n

KAGRA-PR: Assoc. Prof. Shinji Miyoki
\nPR Office: Misato Hayashida
\nTEL: 04-7136-5148
\nE-mail: misato@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp<\/p>\n

Attachments<\/div>\n

1. Image Data<\/a>(Please refer to credit.txt for credits.)
\nKAGRA Tunnel movies (111MB)<\/a>
\nKAGRA Tunnel photos (103MB)<\/a>
\n2. KAGRA Introduction Movie (Japanese) – July 4, 2014
\n