On 14 September, 2015, the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US recorded the first direct detection of gravitational waves. This paper reviews the contributions to this discovery by V.B. Braginsky's group at the Physics Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Keywords: gravitational waves, Advanced LIGO interferometer, noise in gravitational wave detectors, quantum measurements PACS:04.30.−w, 04.80.Nn, 95.55.Ym (all) DOI:10.3367/UFNe.2016.03.037811 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/9/f/ 000391228000006 2-s2.0-85006085704 2016PhyU...59..879B Citation: Braginsky V B, Bilenko I A, Vyatchanin S P, Gorodetsky M L, Mitrofanov V P, Prokhorov L G, Strigin S E, Khalili F Ya "Background to the discovery of gravitational waves" Phys. Usp.59 879–885 (2016)