The American scientific magazine Science discussed the recent decision not to taken part in the new round of gravitational wave hunting yet. This new campaign is beginnen this week with the two LIGO detectors in the US and the underground KAGRA in Japan.
In the news article commissioning coordinator Fiodor Sorrentino says Virgo has problems with two mirrors in the system. Both have earlier suffered a broken glass fiber from which the heavy mirrors are suspended. In one the jolt may have loosened a small magnet in the system, in the other a minute crack had formed. Both introduce noise in the system, limiting the precision.
Repairs could well take until July, but Virgo is confident after that the detector will take significant new gravitational wave data.
