Question
A successful 2015 pilot run called [this mission's] Pathfinder created “the quietest place in the solar system.” For 10 points each:
[10h] Name this European Space Agency mission currently scheduled for launch in the 2030's. When complete, this mission will measure minute changes in the distance between its three satellites.
ANSWER: Laser Interferometer Space Antenna [or LISA]
[10e] LISA takes a brute force approach to detecting low-frequency examples of these phenomena. These relativistic "ripples" in spacetime were first confirmed by the similar LIGO in 2015.
ANSWER: gravitational waves [accept gravity waves]
[10m] LISA's three satellites will create a giant one of these simple interferometers also used by LIGO. These cross-shaped interferometers split and recombine the source beam to detect small displacements.
ANSWER: Michelson interferometer
<JC, Other Science>
Summary
| 2023 ILLIAC (Cornell) | 2023-10-21 | Y | 4 | 7.50 | 75% | 0% | 0% |
| 2023 ILLIAC (Mainsite) | 2023-10-21 | Y | 8 | 10.00 | 88% | 13% | 0% |