Charge-Induced Force Noise on Free-Falling Test Masses: Results from LISA Pathfinder.
نویسندگان
چکیده
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} Hz^{-1/2} across the 0.1-100 mHz frequency band that is crucial to an observatory such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (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 buildup 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.
منابع مشابه
ar X iv : g r - qc / 0 40 20 20 v 1 4 F eb 2 00 4 Measuring random force noise for LISA aboard the LISA Pathfinder mission
The LTP (LISA Testflight Package), to be flown aboard the ESA / NASA LISA Pathfinder mission, aims to demonstrate drag-free control for LISA test masses with acceleration noise below 30 fm /s/ √ Hz from 1-30 mHz. This paper describes the LTP measurement of random, position independent forces acting on the test masses. In addition to putting an overall upper limit for all source of random force ...
متن کاملar X iv : g r - qc / 0 40 20 20 v 1 4 F eb 2 00 4 Measuring random force noise for LISA aboard the LISA
The LTP (LISA Testflight Package), to be flown aboard the ESA / NASA LISA Pathfinder mission, aims to demonstrate drag-free control for LISA test masses with acceleration noise below 30 fm /s/ √ Hz from 1-30 mHz. This paper describes the LTP measurement of random, position independent forces acting on the test masses. In addition to putting an overall upper limit for all source of random force ...
متن کاملFree-flight experiments in LISA Pathfinder
The LISA Pathfinder mission will demonstrate the technology of drag-free test masses for use as inertial references in future space-based gravitational wave detectors. To accomplish this, the Pathfinder spacecraft will perform drag-free flight about a test mass while measuring the acceleration of this primary test mass relative to a second reference test mass. Because the reference test mass is...
متن کاملBeyond the Required LISA Free-Fall Performance: New LISA Pathfinder Results down to 20 μHz.
In the months since the publication of the first results, the noise performance of LISA Pathfinder has improved because of reduced Brownian noise due to the continued decrease in pressure around the test masses, from a better correction of noninertial effects, and from a better calibration of the electrostatic force actuation. In addition, the availability of numerous long noise measurement run...
متن کاملLISA pathfinder appreciably constrains collapse models
Spontaneous collapse models are phenomological theories formulated to address major difficulties in macroscopic quantum mechanics. We place significant bounds on the parameters of the leading collapse models, the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model, and the Diosi-Penrose (DP) model, by using LISA Pathfinder’s measurement, at a record accuracy, of the relative acceleration noise betw...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
- Physical review letters
دوره 118 17 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2017