French-Belgian Meeting on Gravitational Waves at IP2I

On October 14 and 15, IP2I welcomed a delegation of Belgian researchers from UCLouvain, the University of Liège, KU Leuven, and Ghent University to discuss collaborations within the VIRGO framework and prepare for the future Einstein Telescope (ET).

Organized in collaboration with LMA and CC-IN2P3, these two days provided an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics, including developments in optics (lasers, mirrors, substrates, thin-film coatings), cryogenics, computing, software, and preparations for physics data analysis.

The aim is to strengthen synergies between French and Belgian teams to advance the technological and scientific developments required for future upgrades of the Virgo interferometer and the realization of the Einstein Telescope.

Special thanks to Giacomo Bruno, Vassil Kolarov, Adrien Sellez, Nicolas Leroy, and Patrice Verdier!

A great example of European scientific cooperation in gravitational-wave astronomy.