Speaker
Description
The Einstein Telescope (ET) is a European project for a third-generation gravitational-wave detector designed to increase the sensitivity of present interferometers by approximately one order of magnitude. Two reference designs are currently under investigation: a triangular-shaped detector with 10 km arms, and a configuration with two L-shaped detectors with 15 km arms, both located in Europe. Each arm will host a ‘xylophone’ setup of two interferometers: one optimized for high frequencies, the other, cryogenic, for low frequencies. This design will significantly expand the observable volume of the Universe and improve source parameter estimation. In this contribution, I will outline the scientific program of the ET, tracing the project's evolution, current status, and prospects. We give an overview of the technological challenges, especially for the low-frequency instrument, and the scientific reach of a third-generation detector like ET, highlighting the potential for discoveries in fundamental physics, multi-messenger astrophysics, and cosmology.