astronomy

TAMA 300

TAMA 300 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TAMA 300 rather than just read about it. In short: TAMA 300 is a gravitational wave detector located at the Mitaka campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. It is a project of the gravitational wave studies group at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) of the University of Tokyo.

Key takeaways

TAMA 300 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TAMA 300 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TAMA 300 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TAMA 300 is a gravitational wave detector located at the Mitaka campus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. It is a project of the gravitational wave studies group at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR) of the University of Tokyo. The ICRR was established in 1976 for cosmic ray studies, and is currently developing the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA). TAMA 300 was preceded in Mitaka by a 20m prototype TAMA 20 in years 1991–1994. Later the prototype was moved underground to Kamioka mine and renamed LISM. It operated 2000-2002 and established seismic quietness of the underground location. Construction of the TAMA project started in 1995. Data were collected from 1999 to 2004. It adopted a Fabry–Pérot Michelson interferometer (FPMI) with power recycling. It is officially known as the 300m Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Antenna due to having 300 meter long (optical) arms. The goal of the project was to develop advanced techniques needed for a future kilometer sized interferometer and to detect gravitational waves that may occur by chance within the Local Group. Observation of TAMA has been terminated, and work moved to the 100 m Cryogenic Laser Interferometer Observatory (CLIO) prototype in Kamioka mine. As of 2020, modified TAMA 300 is used as a testbed to develop new technologies.

See also CLIO, a prototype interferometric gravitational wave detector operating in Japan. KAGRA, a state-of-the-art interferometric gravitational wave detector under development in Japan

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TAMA 300

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TAMA 300 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TAMA 300 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TAMA 300 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TAMA 300

In research: TAMA 300 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TAMA 300 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TAMA 300 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical observatories in Japan, Astronomical observatory stubs, Gravitational-wave telescopes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TAMA 300 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TAMA 300 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TAMA 300 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TAMA 300 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TAMA 300 in simple terms?

Why does TAMA 300 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TAMA 300?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TAMA 300.