Since 2015 the gravitational-wave observations of LIGO and Virgo have transformed our understanding of compact-object binaries. In the years to come, ground-based gravitational-wave observatories such as LIGO, Virgo, and their successors will increase in sensitivity, discovering thousands of stellar-mass binaries. In the 2030s, the space-based LISA will provide gravitational-wave observations of massive black holes binaries. Between the \(\sim 10\)–10³ Hz band of ground-based observatories and the \(\sim 10^{-4}\)–10^− 1 Hz band of LISA lies the uncharted decihertz gravitational-wave band. We propose a Decihertz Observatory to study this frequency range, and to complement observations made by other detectors. Decihertz observatories are well suited to observation of intermediate-mass (\(\sim 10^{2}\)–10⁴M_⊙) black holes; they will be able to detect stellar-mass binaries days to years before they merge, providing early warning of nearby binary neutron star mergers and measurements of the eccentricity of binary black holes, and they will enable new tests of general relativity and the Standard Model of particle physics. Here we summarise how a Decihertz Observatory could provide unique insights into how black holes form and evolve across cosmic time, improve prospects for both multimessenger astronomy and multiband gravitational-wave astronomy, and enable new probes of gravity, particle physics and cosmology.

自 2015 年以来，LIGO 和 Virgo 的引力波观测改变了我们对致密天体双星的理解。未来几年，LIGO、Virgo 等地面引力波观测站及其后续观测站的灵敏度将会提高，发现数以千计的恒星质量双星。到 2030 年代，天基LISA将提供大质量黑洞双星的引力波观测。在地面天文台的\(\sim 10\) –10 ³ Hz 频带和LISA的\(\sim 10^{-4}\) –10 ^{− 1} Hz 频带之间存在着未知的分赫兹引力波频带。我们建议建立一个德赫兹天文台来研究这个频率范围，并补充其他探测器的观测结果。分赫兹天文台非常适合观测中等质量（ \(\sim 10^{2}\) –10 ⁴ M _⊙ ）黑洞；他们将能够在恒星质量双星合并前几天甚至几年内探测到它们，为附近双中子星合并提供早期预警，并测量双黑洞的偏心率，并且它们将使广义相对论和标准模型的新测试成为可能。粒子物理学。在这里，我们总结了德赫兹天文台如何提供关于黑洞在整个宇宙时间中如何形成和演化的独特见解，改善多信使天文学和多波段引力波天文学的前景，并实现重力、粒子物理和宇宙学的新探测器。