Gravitational wave detectors operate in Ultra-High Vacuum. This serves both to ensure the correct propagation of laser light without obstacles and to eliminate thermal noise and molecular vibrations.
The two 15-meter towers at CAOS are connected in a single vacuum chamber served by mechanical and molecular pumps that together reach an internal pressure of 10-8 mbar.
In this environment, the Superattenuators can be tested under the same conditions in which they will then be used within the detectors.
The mass of the towers is carefully distributed along their height to ensure a level of stiffness that does not interfere with the operation of the seismic attenuation system they enclose.
These structures, designed for CAOS, represent an evolution of the Virgo towers and constitute a prototype for the Einstein Telescope.
