Test facility ETpathfinder enters new phase

A progress workshop in February marks the start of a new phase at the international test facility ETpathfinder. In their cleanroom in Maastricht, European scientists and companies are building a realistic mock-up of the vibration-free interferometers that will sit at the heart of the Einstein Telescope.

Visit Ministers Dijkgraaf and Brouns: strong together for the…

The visit of Flemish Minister Jo Brouns and his Dutch counterpart Robbert Dijkgraaf to the ET pathfinder in Maastricht may have been brief, but its significance was substantial. A few days earlier, Minister Brouns had announced that the Flemish government is allocating 21 million euros for the development of technology for the Einstein Telescope.

“As scientists, we all want the same thing: to…

At Maastricht University’s Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics department, researchers and students are developing new technologies for the planned Einstein Telescope. Janis Wöhler is one of them. In addition to his research job, he runs a popular physics podcast, Physik-Geplänkel

First opening of R&D scheme Einstein Telescope for high-tech…

On Monday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m., the first call was opened of the R&D scheme technology domain Einstein Telescope for high-tech companies. It concerns the technology domain ‘vibration-free cooling’. Companies can qualify for a subsidy of up to €2.585 million.

Brightlands Science Lecture by Prof. Stefan Hild

Einstein Telescope – prospects of building a billion-Euro-class research Infrastructure in Limburg? Unravvelling the mysteries of the dark side of the universe with the Einstein Telescope.

Einstein in Limburg: Universiteit Maastricht bouwt testinstallatie voor Einstein…

Nederland neemt voorlopig een voortrekkersrol in de kandidatuur. Onze noorderburen bouwden al een onderzoeksinstallatie voor de Einstein Telescoop aan de Universiteit van Maastricht. De ET Pathfinder wordt gebruikt om alle technologieën voor het project te testen, en zal ook in gebruik blijven eens de telescoop er is.

Read more “Einstein in Limburg: Universiteit Maastricht bouwt testinstallatie voor Einstein Telescoop”

Dutch Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf visits ETpathfinder

On 23 May, Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture and Science visited Maastricht. He also visited the gravitational wave laboratory ETpathfinder. In addition to the official part of the programme, he paid a spontaneous visit to the clean room to take a closer look at the metres-high installation.

Einstein Telescope submitted to Dutch National Growth Fund Advisory…

The Einstein Telescope project proposal meets the entry criteria of the Dutch National Growth Fund and has been submitted to the Advisory Committee. The Ministers of Economic Affairs and Climate Change (EZK) and Finance (FIN) confirmed this in a letter to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) on 14 February. This confirmation takes the Einstein Telescope one step further in the process.

Innovation voucher scheme for companies

Innovation voucher scheme for companies

Does your company have an idea for a new product, process or technology? And could this be relevant to the Einstein Telescope? Then the voucher scheme of the ET2SMEs project might be interesting for you!

Looking back on ETpathfinder’s opening

On November 8, Ingrid van Engelshoven – the Demissionary Minister of Education, Culture and Science – opened ETpathfinder during a festive ceremony in Maastricht.

Dr. Jessica Steinlechner

Quiet mirrors to discover our universe

Dr. Jessica Steinlechner of the Department of Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics (GWFP) was awarded a VIDI grant to develop mirror coatings for gravitational waves detectors.

Ontwikkeling Einstein Telescoop komt op stoom

De centrale spil van de ontwikkeling van de toekomstige Einstein Telescoop – voor de detectie van zwaartekrachtgolven – staat in Maastricht. Bij de universiteit van deze stad verrijst een laboratorium voor ET Pathfinder, een prototype van de Einstein Telescoop. De bouw van het laboratorium nadert zijn voltooiing. Wat gaat er in het lab gebeuren?

Construction ETpathfinder cleanroom started

The first phase of constructing ETpathfinder was finished last summer by pouring the high-tech concrete floor. And with the drying of the concrete done, the build has entered the second phase: building the cleanroom. 

Black holes and the big bang under scrutiny in the National Science Agenda NWA

Black holes and the big bang under scrutiny in…

Two research projects by Nikhef and others receive support from the National Science Agenda. One project wants to illuminate the mystery of black holes from all sides, the other looks directly back to almost the big bang. Both also focus explicitly on the curious  general public.

Einstein Telescope

Einstein Telescope application for European roadmap submitted

On September 9th, the Italian government submitted an application to include the Einstein Telescope in the European roadmap for large research infrastructures. The governments of Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain support the application. Being part of this ESFRI-roadmap would recognize the importance of the Einstein Telescope for Europe.

Working visit to Maastricht of the Parliament of North…


On Monday 3 August, representatives of the parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia came to Maastricht for a working visit. This Benelux group of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia wanted to be informed about the Einstein Telescope.

BMBF funding for Einstein Telescope preparations

Fourteen German universities and research institutions receive a total of around 2 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This grant allows physicists and geophysicists to work on various technological aspects of the Einstein Telescope.

The Einstein Telescope and industry: exploring technological challenges together

The Einstein Telescope comes with unique technical challenges that cannot be solved by science alone. That’s why collaboration with industry is important. During webinars on July 1st and 15th specialists from both – science and industry – explored the challenges and collaboration opportunities together.

Concrete progress for ETpathfinder

A lot of talk has been going around about the prototype for a new generation of gravitational wave detector: ETpathfinder. And now, after many months of careful planning and preparation, the first visible steps towards realisation are finally complete.

ETpathfinder - Detailed

Scoping out the Einstein Telescope

Activities are gathering pace at two sites in Europe where the Einstein Telescope, a proposed next-generation gravitational-wave observatory, may be built.

Einstein Telescope

Einstein Telescoop weer stap dichterbij

De komst van de Einstein Telescoop naar Zuid-Limburg is weer een stap dichterbij gekomen. De EU heeft deze week een subsidie toegekend van 7,5 miljoen euro voor verder bodemonderzoek.

Limburgse bodem stabiel genoeg voor Einstein Telescoop

De komst van de Einstein Telescoop naar Zuid-Limburg is weer een stapje dichterbij gekomen nu uit onderzoek is gebleken dat de grond onder het Heuvelland stabiel genoeg is voor de kilometerslange detectoren van zwaartekrachtsgolven. 

Einstein Telescope

Das „Einstein Teleskop“ könnte bei Aachen gebaut werden

Im Jahr 2015 wurden erstmals Gravitationswellen gemessen – mit zwei Detektoren in den USA. Nun planen europäische Forscher das „Einstein Teleskop“, das zehnmal sensibler für diese Wellen ist. Als Standort ist das Dreiländereck bei Aachen im Gespräch.

Universiteit Maastricht treedt toe tot Einstein Telescope Coalitie

De Universiteit Maastricht is officieel toegetreden tot de Einstein Telescope Coalitie van Nikhef en KU Leuven; een samenwerkingsverband dat gaat onderzoeken wat de wetenschappelijke en technologische mogelijkheden zijn om de Einstein Telescope te vestigen in de grensregio rond Zuid-Limburg.