Cosmic Explorer Project Funding  

"Cosmic Explorer Beamtube Experiment". Under this award, the CEBEX team, based at LIGO Hanford Observatory, will design, construct, and test a 1.2m diameter by 120m long prototype UHV beamtube section as a technology pathfinder for the CE observatory. The scale of this activity requires the construction of a purpose-built lab structure on available land at the current LIGO site. Beamtube materials, construction methods, and industrial processes will be implemented and tested to confirm feasibility, scalability, and compliance with CE requirements. In the final year of the planned 4.25-year Award, the team will apply the results of this research to deliver to NSF an efficient conceptual reference design, parametric cost estimate, and schedule framework for CE beamtube construction. These will form key underpinnings of pending future CE design and construction initiatives. (NSF Award 2422892)

"From Detector Hardware to Astrophysics: An Open Control and Analysis Architecture for Cosmic Explorer". This award supports the design of an Open Control and Analysis Architecture for Cosmic Explorer, the concept for a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory in the U.S. Cosmic Explorer will push the reach of gravitational-wave astronomy to the edge of the observable universe, enabling transformative discoveries across physics, astronomy, and cosmology. The Open Control and Analysis Architecture is a critical system that sits between the hardware sensing gravitational waves and the scientific output of the detector. The design of Cosmic Explorer's digital systems will drive advancements in technologies relevant to other fields of science and industry, including control systems for large-scale experiments; architectures for large-scale scientific computing; and investigation, adoption, and improvement of open-source and industrial hardware and software systems. This award will help recruit and train students and professionals who will become members of the U.S. STEM workforce. (NSF Award 2409632)

"Launching the Cosmic Explorer Conceptual Design".. This award will establish a Cosmic Explorer Project Office, including systems engineering and management structures. This team will develop the initial Project Execution Plan and the initial Design and Development Plan for Cosmic Explorer. The team will also coordinate related activities funded under different awards and ultimately deliver the science traceability matrix, the initial facility infrastructure concept, and the initial detector reference design for Cosmic Explorer. (NSF Award 2309064)

"Collaborative Research: Identifying and Evaluating Sites for Cosmic Explorer." This award supports the identification and evaluation of the most promising locations for CE observatories while developing protocols and best practices for large-scale projects to be in partnership with local and Indigenous communities. (NSF Awards 2308985, 2308986, 2308987, 2308988, 2308989, 2308990)

"Cosmic Explorer Optical Design." This award will build on the Cosmic Explorer Horizon Study results to deliver parametric conceptual designs for the CE interferometers, iterate these with the CE Science-Driven Design Team, and propagate requirements for other detector systems via the CE Systems Team. (NSF awards 2309265, 2309266, 2309267, 2309268)

"Enabling Megawatt Optical Power in Cosmic Explorer." The objective of this award is to enable laser interferometry at the megawatt scale, by developing the initial design of a Mode Sensing and Control system for Cosmic Explorer capable of overcoming the thermal lensing degradations that limit current detectors. (NSF Awards  2309006 and 2309007)

"Local Gravity Disturbances and Next-Generation Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics." This award will enable the development of protocols for assessing the amount of Newtonian Noise that may be present at candidate CE locations and establish what mitigation techniques will be employed, for both seismic and acoustic contributions to NN once a site is established. Prototypes of highly sensitive acoustic sensors capable of measuring in the 5--20 Hz range, designs for an acoustic sensor array for acoustic cancellation, and prototype isolation mitigation techniques will be pursued. (NSF Awards  2308971, 2308972 and 2308974)

"Cosmic Explorer: Research and Conceptual Designs for Scattered-Light Mitigation." This award will enable a team of scientists and engineers to analyze sources of noise associated with stray light, especially in the interferometer arm cavities. We will produce an initial conceptual design for the beam tube baffles. Mitigation of scattered light in the beam tubes is a high-priority research topic, as it directly impacts the facility design and cost. Other deliverables include requirements for mirror surface roughness and exploration of low-scatter vacuum materials. (NSF Awards  2308793 and 2308794)