Effects of lightning strokes on underground gravitational waves observatories

Abstract

For ground-based gravitational wave (GW) detectors, lightning strokes in the atmosphere are sources of environmental noise. Some GW detectors are built or planned in underground facilities, and knowledge of how lightning strokes affect them is of interest. In this paper, the lightning detection system in KAGRA is introduced, and the properties of the magnetic field measured inside and outside the KAGRA tunnel are shown. One lightning-induced event in the GW channel of the KAGRA main interferometer is also shown. Finally, possible applications of lightning events for the GW experiments are discussed.