Although Utah lost out on the $4 billion superconducting supercollider project two years ago, the state could be in the running for another major scientific laboratory - a gravity wave detector.
And this time, a major objection to the western Utah desert site that was raised against the supercollider - that the Air Force wanted to build its electronic battlefield there - is no longer valid. Because of military cutbacks resulting from changes in Eastern Europe, the Air Force has abandoned the electronic combat range.The new laboratory would be the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, a science fiction-sounding project included in President Bush's 1991 budget. The budget, not yet approved by Congress, earmarks $47 million for the project.
Altogether, two gravity wave observatories would cost $192 million and take four years to construct.
"Potentially, Utah could certainly be an interesting place" to build one of the observatories, said Richard Isaacson, program director for gravitational physics, National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. He was interviewed by the Deseret News on Wednesday.
"In fact, Utah is one of the places that have been looked at," he said.
In the 15 years that the observatory has been discussed, "lots and lots of sites have been looked at in a variety of detail. . . . Some of them have been looked at quite seriously in Utah."
More than one must be built, separated by at least 1,600 miles, he said.
"You won't be able to do the experiment unless there are two sites, each simultaneously measuring the signal." Otherwise, there would be no way to filter out what might simply be changes within the Earth.
Each would have a pair of "vacuum pipe" arms 2 1/2 miles long, set at an angle to each other. The project would be built jointly by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., and the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
The observatory would search for gravity waves radiating out from supernovae and neutron stars. Also, Isaacson said, colliding black holes might release such waves and maybe there would be waves that are "leftover relics from the Big Bang explosive creation of the universe."
Although MIT and Cal Tech would build the facility, "It's meant to be a national laboratory. . . . It will be open to scientists all across the country," Isaacson said.
The National Science Foundation is in its final stages of investigating the project's feasibility. "We are planning to discuss this with the highest levels of the management of the NSF, the National Science Board."
Items to be discussed include the scientific value of the project and its cost.
"We have to bring them the results of this (investigation). When that's done and they approve the project, assuming they do, then we will have discussions with the project director."
Project director R.E. Vogt, of Cal Tech, will draft site criteria. Eventually a set of procedures and evaluation criteria will be approved, and the planners can get down to the basics of picking sites.
"The obvious kinds of criteria are that you should have some place that is very flat, so you don't have to move earth. You need to have a site available."
At least 2 1/2 miles in each of the two important directions will be needed, so the twin arms can be installed. Environmental and cultural factors might be included in the choice.
"And of course, cost is going to be a factor, too," Isaacson said.
The western desert site is flat, public land, close to Salt Lake City. Lacking much plant or animal life, construction there would pose few environmental problems. The nearby population is well-educated, with university research facilities.