<p>They do use two or more detectors to triangulate the origin of a source. Most recently the Advanced Virgo detector in Italy was used in conjunction with the two LIGO detectors in the USA. This has been published in <em>Physical Review Letters</em> (<a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.141101" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 141101 – Published 6 October 2017">Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 141101 – Published 6 October 2017</a>).</p>

<p>With two detectors the sky area for "pinpointing" the source is quite a large area, but with three detectors the area is reduced by a factor of about 20.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-01T03:30:00.960Z
2017-12-01T03:30:00.960Z
Mick
<p>While detectors for gravitational waves are interferometers themselves, the question here is about an increase in resolution resulting from two or more detectors far away from each other. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-28T12:48:25.320Z
I did not vote, but I think this question would be greatly improved by adding a bit more detail. In particular, I cannot think right now which signals would be used for the interferometer of interferometers.
Alex
<gravitational-waves><interferometry>
Can two detectors for gravitational waves be combined into a very long baseline interferometer?
user19335
# Can two detectors for gravitational waves be combined into a very long baseline interferometer?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-25)

While detectors for gravitational waves are interferometers themselves, the question here is about an increase in resolution resulting from two or more detectors far away from each other.

**Tags:** gravitational-waves, interferometry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I did not vote, but I think this question would be greatly improved by adding a bit more detail. In particular, I cannot think right now which signals would be used for the interferometer of interferometers.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-01. Score: 3

They do use two or more detectors to triangulate the origin of a source. Most recently the Advanced Virgo detector in Italy was used in conjunction with the two LIGO detectors in the USA. This has been published in *Physical Review Letters* ([Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 141101 – Published 6 October 2017](https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.141101 "Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 141101 – Published 6 October 2017")).

With two detectors the sky area for "pinpointing" the source is quite a large area, but with three detectors the area is reduced by a factor of about 20.


---

