This paper presents a complete description of Virgo, the French-Italian gravitational wave detector. The detector, built at Cascina, near Pisa (Italy), is a very large Michelson interferometer, with 3 km-long arms. JINST 7 P03012In this paper, following a presentation of the physics requirements, leading to the specifications for the construction of the detector, a detailed description of all its different elements is given. These include civil engineering infrastructures, a huge ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber (about 6000 cubic metres), all of the optical components, including high quality mirrors and their seismic isolating suspensions, all of the electronics required to control the interferometer and for signal detection. The expected performances of these different elements are given, leading to an overall sensitivity curve as a function of the incoming gravitational wave frequency.This description represents the detector as built and used in the first data-taking runs. Improvements in different parts have been and continue to be performed, leading to better sensitivities. These will be detailed in a forthcoming paper.

The commissioning of the Virgo gravitational wave detector has restarted after several major hardware upgrades carried out during winter 2005. Now Virgo is fully operative and its sensitivity greatly improved and continually improving. A program of short scientific data taking has already started and Virgo is moving towards a period of continuous data taking, which should start at the end of May 2007. The actual status of the Virgo detector is reported, describing the actual detector sensitivity as well as the limiting noises and the mid-term plans.

Abstract-The rigorous uncertainty estimation in Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing is a complex task that has been addressed through a simplified approach that typically assumes that all the contributions are uncorrelated and symmetric, and combine them in a linear or linearized model using the error propagation law. These assumptions may affect the reliability of test results, and therefore, it is advisable to use alternative methods, such as Monte Carlo Method (MCM), for the calculation and validation of measurement uncertainty. This paper presents the results of the estimation of uncertainty for some of the most common EMC tests, such as: the measurement of radiated and conducted emissions according to CISPR 22 and radiated (IEC 61000-4-3) and conducted (IEC 61000-4-6) immunity, using both the conventional techniques of the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and the Monte Carlo Method. The results show no significant differences between the uncertainty estimated using the aforementioned methods, and it was observed that the GUM uncertainty framework slightly overestimates the overall uncertainty for the cases evaluated here. Although the GUM Uncertainty Framework proves to be adequate for the particular EMC tests that were considered, generally the Monte Carlo Method has features that avoid the assumptions and the limitations of the GUM Uncertainty Framework.

VIRGO, a French-Italian collaboration located in Cascina (Pisa, Italy) aiming at the detection of gravitational waves, is a ground based power recycled Michelson interferometer, which arms are 3-km-long Fabry-Perot suspended cavities. The VIRGO first scientific data taking has started in mid may 2007 in coincidence with the corresponding American detectors. The optical scheme of the interferometer and the various optical techniques used in the experiment, like the laser source, control, alignment, stabilization and detection strategies are outlined.