Selected Problems of Gravitational Wave Experiment

The gravitation-wave experiment, as the field of interest and activity in modern physical science, exists for about twenty years. In spite of the fact that gravitational waves have not yet been registered, the considerable success has been achieved in construction and explo ration of gravitational wave antennae. Today these devices have come up to the sensitivity level which is very reasonable from the point of view of the realistic astrophysical forecast. The event with Supernova 87 demonstra ted clearly the needs in permanently operating gravity antennae. An episodic turning on antenna is now insufficient to detect some gravity-wave burst with unknown arrival time. The putting into operation of long baseline laser-gravitational antennae (which do not need liquid helium support) will probably make this task easy. Actually this mean organization of the first gravity-wave observatory, and positive results may be awaited which look now quite realistic. Kip Thorne, the principal ideologist of GW-astronomy, has published recently a large review article on the subject of interest (Thorne,1987). So we don’t need to repeat this work. Instead, in three lectures that follow, we concentrate our attention on possible new programs and ways of developing gravitational wave experiment in nearest future.