Identifying Gravitational Wave Observatory Locations Within US Public Lands

Abstract

Cosmic Explorer is the name for a next-generation gravitational wave observatory that will be constructed within the continental United States. The observatory will be composed of two large scale laser interferometer detectors. The current focus of the CE project is selecting the sites where each detector will be built. To house the equipment necessary for the laser interferometer, each facility will be L-shaped, narrow in width (75 meters), with arms extending 20 or 40 kilometers. Small-scale analyses have identified over 20 million potential locations based on criteria from two goals: conditions conducive to gravitational wave observation and proximity to amenities for scientists. Because CE is funded by the National Science Foundation, proposed locations that are located within public land are especially desirable. This study calculates the percentage of public land found within each of the 40 km observatory locations. For each location, the agencies that own the public land, along with their respective percentages, are preserved. Locations with 90 percent or greater public land coverage are highlighted as desirable. Highlighted locations are compared to general areas of interest created by the CE project. This analysis was conducted using a Python script with geoprocessing tools from the ArcPy library. The script is designed for reproducibility; 20 km observatory locations and any future identified sites can be processed with minimal changes.