1. Charge-induced force noise on free-falling test masses: results from LISA Pathfinder
- Author
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B. Johlander, Heather Audley, Gerhard Heinzel, M. Cruise, Ph. Jetzer, José F. F. Mendes, R. Giusteri, M. Hewitson, Lluis Gesa, G. Auger, Antoine Petiteau, Jacob Slutsky, Valerio Ferroni, Paul McNamara, R. Gerndt, Rita Dolesi, N. Korsakova, R. Maarschalkerweerd, A. Wittchen, Karsten Danzmann, Michele Armano, J. Baird, Carlos F. Sopuerta, S. Paczkowski, M. Freschi, Oliver Jennrich, P. Prat, E. D. Fitzsimons, Henri Inchauspe, Daniele Vetrugno, W. J. Weber, Christian J. Killow, B. Kaune, P. Sarra, S. Madden, Daniele Bortoluzzi, Peter Wass, L. Mendes, A. Bursi, C. García Marirrodriga, P. Pivato, Miquel Nofrarías, J. Huesler, F. Martin-Porqueras, Mauro Hueller, H. Rozemeijer, Antonella Cavalleri, R. Flatscher, Pierre Binétruy, N. Brandt, Nikolaos Karnesis, C. Trenkel, C. Zanoni, J. Martino, S. Vitale, Ignacio Mateos, A. Schleicher, J. Gallegos, Daniel Hollington, T. J. Sumner, L. Liu, J. P. López-Zaragoza, Ferran Gibert, M. de Deus Silva, Luigi Ferraioli, N. Dunbar, Catia Grimani, Domenico Giardini, J. A. Romera Perez, Eric Plagnol, V. Martín, M. Caleno, D. I. Robertson, Tobias Ziegler, James Ira Thorpe, A. Moroni, D. Wealthy, U. Ragnit, Ivan Lloro, Davor Mance, D. Texier, J. Reiche, A. Cesarini, G. Russano, Peter Zweifel, I. Harrison, L. Martin-Polo, Michael Perreur-Lloyd, J. Grzymisch, H. Ward, M. Born, Ingo Diepholz, F. Rivas, Gudrun Wanner, Juan Ramos-Castro, AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC (UMR_7164)), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), LISA Pathfinder, LISA Pathfinder Collaboration, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), AstroParticule et Cosmologie ( APC - UMR 7164 ), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ) -Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS ( IN2P3 ) -Observatoire de Paris-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 ( UPD7 ) -Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives ( CEA )
- Subjects
Gravitational-wave observatory ,Capacitive sensing ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Interplanetary flight ,Astrophysics ,01 natural sciences ,09 Engineering ,Laser interferometers ,Gravitational wave detectors ,Cosmic ray measurement ,Dedicated measurements ,force: electrostatic ,[ PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET ] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det] ,MISSION ,Physics ,02 Physical Sciences ,Stochastic systems ,Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,Interferometria làser ,Electrostatics ,Cosmology ,electric field ,observatory ,cosmic radiation ,frequency ,Physical Sciences ,Electrostàtica ,Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,European Space Agency ,electrostatic ,Noise (radio) ,Gravitation ,Laser interferometer space antenna ,General Physics ,Electric fields ,Physics, Multidisciplinary ,Capacitive sensors ,FOS: Physical sciences ,Gravity waves ,LISA Pathfinder Collaboration ,Electrostatic measurements ,Gravitational waves ,Physics and Astronomy (all) ,Acceleration ,Ones gravitacionals ,Gravitational reference sensors ,Electric field ,0103 physical sciences ,Frequency bands ,stochastic ,[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det] ,noise: acceleration ,coupling ,010306 general physics ,Electrostatic modeling ,Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) ,01 Mathematical Sciences ,LISA ,Science & Technology ,Interferometers ,010308 nuclear & particles physics ,Gravitational wave ,Electrostatic force ,FIELDS ,gravitational radiation detector ,Computational physics ,Pathfinder ,gravitation ,Física::Astronomia i astrofísica [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,mass ,Laser interferometry ,Differential accelerations ,SYSTEM ,astro-ph.IM - Abstract
We report on electrostatic measurements made on board the European Space Agency mission LISA Pathfinder. Detailed measurements of the charge-induced electrostatic forces exerted on free-falling test masses (TMs) inside the capacitive gravitational reference sensor are the first made in a relevant environment for a space-based gravitational wave detector. Employing a combination of charge control and electric-field compensation, we show that the level of charge-induced acceleration noise on a single TM can be maintained at a level close to 1.0 fm/s^2/sqrt(Hz) across the 0.1-100 mHz frequency band that is crucial to an observatory such as LISA. Using dedicated measurements that detect these effects in the differential acceleration between the two test masses, we resolve the stochastic nature of the TM charge build up due to interplanetary cosmic rays and the TM charge-to-force coupling through stray electric fields in the sensor. All our measurements are in good agreement with predictions based on a relatively simple electrostatic model of the LISA Pathfinder instrument., Comment: 9 Pages, 3 figures
- Published
- 2017