Massive objects such as orbiting neutron stars can bend the Universe's flexible space-time fabric, generating gravitational waves. Four wave detectors are expected to be operational on Earth by 2016. However, having an additional detector in the right place could double or even quadruple the expected detection rate, says Bernard Schutz at the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany.

He calculated changes in detection rate, sky coverage and directional accuracy of the network when three or more detectors are placed around the world. He found that moving one of the three detectors currently planned for the United States to Australia and adding a detector in Japan (which is now being funded) would nearly double the sky coverage. In addition, it would lower the error rate in measuring the angular position of events sixfold.

Classical Quant. Grav. doi:10.1088/0264-9381/28/12/125023 (2011)