Cosmic Explorer (CE) is a next-generation ground-based gravitational-wave observatory that is being designed in the 2020s and is envisioned to begin operations in the 2030s together with the Einstein Telescope in Europe. The CE concept currently consists of two widely separated L-shaped observatories in the United States, one with 40 km-long arms and the other with 20 km-long arms. This order of magnitude increase in scale with respect to the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observatories will, together with technological improvements, deliver an order of magnitude greater astronomical reach, allowing access to gravitational waves from remnants of the first stars and opening a wide discovery aperture to the novel and unknown. In addition to pushing the reach of gravitational-wave astronomy, CE endeavors to approach the lifecycle of large scientific facilities in a way that prioritizes mutually beneficial relationships with local and Indigenous communities. This article describes the (scientific, cost and access, and social) criteria that will be used to identify and evaluate locations that could potentially host the CE observatories.
@article{arxiv.2410.00293,
title = {Criteria for identifying and evaluating locations that could potentially host the Cosmic Explorer observatories},
author = {Kathryne J. Daniel and Joshua R. Smith and Stefan Ballmer and Warren Bristol and Jennifer C. Driggers and Anamaria Effler and Matthew Evans and Joseph Hoover and Kevin Kuns and Michael Landry and Geoffrey Lovelace and Chris Lukinbeal and Vuk Mandic and Kiet Pham and Jocelyn Read and Joshua B. Russell and Francois Schiettekatte and Robert M. S. Schofield and Christopher A. Scholz and David H. Shoemaker and Piper Sledge and Amber Strunk},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.00293},
year = {2024}
}