[Paper Review] A Horizon Study for Cosmic Explorer: Science, Observatories, and Community
A horizon study examining science goals, observatory planning, and community considerations for Cosmic Explorer.
This Horizon Study describes a next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory: Cosmic Explorer. With ten times the sensitivity of Advanced LIGO, Cosmic Explorer will push gravitational-wave astronomy towards the edge of the observable universe ($z \sim 100$). The goals of this Horizon Study are to describe and evaluate design concepts for Cosmic Explorer; to plan for the United States' leadership in gravitational-wave astronomy; and to envisage the role of Cosmic Explorer in the international effort to build a "Third-Generation" (3G) observatory network that will make discoveries transformative across astronomy, physics, and cosmology.
Motivation & Objective
- Clarify the science goals and programmatic priorities for Cosmic Explorer.
- Assess observatory concepts, capabilities, and deployment pathways.
- Evaluate community, collaboration, and governance aspects surrounding the project.
- Identify gaps and needs in technology, infrastructure, and partnerships.
Proposed method
- Literature and programmatic review to outline potential science cases for Cosmic Explorer.
- Framework development to compare observatory concepts and their requirements.
- Stakeholder analysis to understand community, collaboration, and governance implications.
- Roadmap construction outlining timelines, milestones, and decision points.
Experimental results
Research questions
- RQ1What are the primary science objectives envisioned for Cosmic Explorer?
- RQ2What observatory configurations and capabilities are required to achieve these objectives?
- RQ3How should the scientific community and governance structures be organized to support the project?
- RQ4What gaps in technology, infrastructure, or partnerships must be addressed in the horizon study?
Key findings
- The study identifies science goals, observatory concepts, and community considerations as core components.
- It highlights the need for coordinated planning across science objectives, infrastructure, and governance.
- The horizon study proposes a structured roadmap with milestones for Cosmic Explorer.
- It emphasizes collaboration and governance models as essential to project success.
Better researchstarts right now
From paper design to paper writing, dramatically reduce your research time.
No credit card · Free plan available
This review was created by AI and reviewed by human editors.