Yesterday, 20 March 2023, the Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini visited the Sos Enattos mine in Lula (NU) accompanied by the President of the Sardinia Region Christian Solinas.
The Minister confirmed all the commitment of the Italian Government and the Region in supporting the Italian candidacy of the Sardinian site for the construction of the Einstein Telescope, the most sensitive gravitational wave detector in the world, which will attract the scientific communities of the world to Sardinia.
Representatives of the scientific bodies involved in the ET project and which have been carrying out experiments at the mine for some years on the site were present at the event.
Among them, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) which has been operating in the Sos Enattos mine since 2019, both in collaboration with Sardinian universities and the INFN and with independent research projects.
Carlo Giunchi was present for INGV, coordinator of the synergistic FABER project for the candidacy of the Sardinian site with the preliminary studies. In particular FABER,
thanks to the MEET project, financed by the MUR with NextGeneration EU funds from the PNRR, it will build the infrastructure of a new geophysical observatory at the Sos Enattos mine, intended to study the interior of the earth from a privileged observation point where the seismic quiet and geodynamics help ensure geophysical data of excellent quality.
Carlo Giunchi, first INGV researcher explains in this regard “Our presence at Sos Enattos represents the dual objective of supporting the preparatory activities for Sardinia's candidacy to host the Einstein Telescope and to help FABER grow. In this sense, the collaboration between University and EPR supervised by the MUR is strong. The presence of the Minister confirms the goodness of the work carried out so far and the importance of consolidating this common effort"
The Sos Enattos mine also hosts a station of the Seismic Network MedNet (Mediterranean Network) whose data flows into the seismic monitoring network of INGV.
For the Einstein Telescope project, INGV Research Technologists from many disciplines of the geosciences participate, actively collaborating with over 1300 people from all over the world engaged in the realization of the European project.
Rendering of the Einstein Telescope. The underground infrastructure, with tunnels 10km long, will host 6 interferometers dedicated to the observation of gravitational waves.
Rendering of the Einstein Telescope. The underground infrastructure, with tunnels 10km long, will host 6 interferometers dedicated to the observation of gravitational waves.