The Science of the Einstein Telescope

by Prof. Paolo Pani (Sapienza University of Rome)

Tuesday 13 Oct 2026, 11:30 → 12:30 Europe/Rome

ICRANet Pescara

The Einstein Telescope (ET) is the planned European third-generation gravitational-wave observatory, designed to improve the sensitivity of current detectors by about an order of magnitude and, crucially, to extend observations down to frequencies of a few Hz. This will make ET both a precision instrument for nearby sources and a discovery machine capable of probing compact binaries throughout cosmic history. We review the broad ET science case, spanning compact-object astrophysics, multimessenger astronomy, nuclear physics, cosmology, and fundamental physics. We highlight how high signal-to-noise detections and low-frequency sensitivity will enable precision studies of black holes and neutron stars, stringent tests of General Relativity, measurements of the neutron-star equation of state, and searches for dark matter and cosmological gravitational-wave backgrounds. We also discuss ongoing studies of how site-dependent low-frequency noise may impact key ET science targets and the performance of different detector configurations. Finally, we briefly outline some of the challenges posed by ET data, including long and overlapping signals and the need for new analysis strategies.

Paolo Pani is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Sapienza University of Rome, where he coordinates the gravity theory group, and a Senior Fellow of the Sapienza School for Advanced Studies. He is a recipient of the INFN Fubini Prize and the SIGRAV Prize for his studies on black hole physics, gravitational-wave phenomenology, and their connections to fundamental physics. He is the author of a textbook on General Relativity and of numerous influential review articles, and has co-authored over 200 publications. He is the Principal Investigator of the FIS project ET-NOW and, since 2026, serves as a Chair of the Einstein Telescope Observational Science Board.