edited by M Barone (Urbino University, Italy), G Calamai (Astrophysical Observatory, Arcetri, Italy), M Mazzoni (Florence University, Italy), R Stanga (Florence University, Italy), & F Vetrano (Urbino University, Italy)

This book introduces needed theoretical instruments and offers an up-to-date discussion on fundamental physics as well as the experimental tools used and developed for the construction and exploitation of gravitational wave antennae (resonant bars, ground-based and space interferometric detectors). In addition, problems in the fields of optics, signal processing, control and feedback in active mechanical filtering are deeply analyzed, with reference to recent solutions adopted in the main detectors.

• General Relativity and Gravitational Waves (P Tourrenc)
• Physics of the Sources of Gravitational Waves (S Bonazzola & E Gourgoulhon)
• Supernovae (N Panagia)
• What Have We Learned about Ray Bursts from Their Afterglows (M Vietri)
• The Mystery of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (A V Olinto)
• Optical Modeling of Gravitational Wave Interferometers (J-Y Vinet)
• Optics Manufacturing and Testing for Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Detectors (V Loriette)
• Resonant Bar Gravitational Wave Detectors (M Visco & L Votano)
• An Optical Transducer for Bar Detectors (F Marin et al.)
• The VIRGO Project (A Giazotto)
• Low Friction Materials for High Sensitivity Gravitational Wave Detectors (C Cattuto et al.)
• An Introduction to Feedback Control Systems (L Benvenuti & M D di Benedetto)
• Introduction to the Mechanical Simulation of the Seismic Isolation Systems (A Vicerè)
• Active Controls in Interferometric Detectors of Gravitational Waves: Inertial Damping of VIRGO Superattenuators (G Losurdo)
• Signal Processing: Elements of Detection and Estimation Theory (A Vannucci & M G di Benedetto)
• Time-Frequency Analysis: An Introduction (P Flandrin)
• Introduction to the Data Analysis in Interferometric Gravitational Wave Experiments (A Vicerè)
• R&D for Interferometric GW Detectors (A Brillet)