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We are very pleased with our joint EMR participation last week at Hannover Messe. The key conclusion to be drawn is that from all over the world – and Germany in particular – interest and enthusiasm are growing for an Einstein Telescope in the Meuse-Rhine Euregio. We made many new contacts with interested companies and also with political figures and administrators. Definitely to be continued!

"All signs indicate that the Einstein Telescope is a matter of interest to many people," writes Hans Plets, project manager for Einstein Telescope Flanders (FWO), in his column. From ministerial visits and parliamentary sessions to misunderstandings about 'vertices' and key steps towards the bid book, the project continues to gain momentum. And that makes for plenty of 'Never a dull moment' events, especially on Mondays.

Vibrations from wind turbines interfere with Einstein Telescope measurements. Therefore, we have provisionally assumed a safe turbine-free zone of about 10 kilometres around the telescope search area. The possibility of more space away from wind turbines in the future is being explored. For example, the University of Liège is mapping the effects of vibrations. And RWTH Aachen is exploring the possibilities of placing the turbines on wooden masts. Professor Achim Stahl, director of the Institute of Physics at RWTH in Aachen, is optimistic after an initial investigation.

Late last year, our Flemish partner FWO organised a colouring competition with the Einstein Telescope as its subject in connection with Science Day. One of the winners was Alice from De Link primary school in Edegem. The prize: Alice and her classmates were taken into the fascinating world of gravity and the Einstein Telescope by Daniel Mayserson and Annelien Vekemans of the Leuven Gravity Institute. There were also black holes, of course, as you can see in the picture. What would happen if there really were a black hole between the camera and the class?

The Einstein Telescope Education Centre (ETEC) in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, is keen to open its doors to schools from the Euregio. Indeed, there is great demand from neighbouring countries for foreign schoolchildren also to be immersed in the world of STEM, gravitational waves and the Einstein Telescope. In addition, the ETEC is going to open its doors to the general public one Sunday a month from May.

In 2017, gravitational waves from a collision of neutron stars were detected for the first time by aLIGO and Virgo. One of the surprising findings of this detection was that these merging neutron stars produced a huge amount of heavy metals – including amounts of gold equal to several times the mass of planet Earth! Supernovae were previously thought to be the primary source, but mergers of neutron stars could well be the main gold factories in the Universe. The Einstein Telescope will be able to detect gravitational waves from thousands of merging neutron stars, giving us a greater understanding of these cosmic alchemy events. And perhaps it will be confirmed that all the gold in our jewellery was indeed forged as a result of these violent cosmic collisions!

The University of Namur (UNamur) recently signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which universities state their commitment to the Einstein Telescope. The background to this new partnership is that the University especially wants to bring in multidisciplinary expertise, explain Professors Michaël Lobet and André Füzfa.

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Nowhere in Europe is the density of universities, polytechnics and research institutes as high as in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are more than 140 such institutions, reports the NMWP (Nanotechnology, Microsystems Technology, Materials and Photonics) website.  Based at this organisation, Dr Matthias Grosch brings together entrepreneurs and scientists from various key technologies and promotes innovative projects for the Einstein Telescope whenever possible.

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For a few more weeks, measurements of deeper soil layers will take place in the Belgian and Dutch Einstein Telescope search area. Through vibrations, sensors map the soil structure. 

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At one time, newspapers were printed in the hall where the ETpathfinder now stands. Together with the R&D centre next to it, the ETpathfinder now forms the research centre for the Einstein Telescope, where all the new technologies that have been devised are tested. 

Thanks in part to the efforts in aid of the Einstein Telescope, Limburg (NL) is among the most innovative regions in the world. These are regions that excel in innovative strength, knowledge development and sustainability.

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In February, Belgium's King Philippe installed the new federal government. The King stressed that "our prosperity also requires ambitious investments in projects that connect research and industry, such as the Einstein Telescope".

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This newsletter is a publication of Einstein Telescope - Euregio Meuse-Rhine
Editors: Nicole Vijgen, Arnaud Stiepen and Henk Schroen

Photo's: Jonathan Vos | Video: Submedia
Comments? Mail to: info@et-emr.eu

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