Test of Lorentz Invariance in Electrodynamics Using Rotating Cryogenic Sapphire Microwave Oscillators

We present the first results from a rotating Michelson-Morley experiment that uses two orthogonally orientated cryogenic sapphire resonator-oscillators operating in whispering gallery modes near 10 GHz. The experiment is used to test for violations of Lorentz Invariance in the frame-work of the photon sector of the Standard Model Extension (SME), as well as the isotropy term of the Robertson-Mansouri-Sexl (RMS) framework. In the SME we set a new bound on the previously unmeasured $\tilde{\kappa}_{e-}^{ZZ}$ component of $2.1(5.7)\times10^{-14}$, and set more stringent bounds by up to a factor of 7 on seven other components. In the RMS a more stringent bound of $-0.9(2.0)\times 10^{-10}$ on the isotropy parameter, $P_{MM}=\delta - \beta + {1/2}$ is set, which is more than a factor of 7 improvement. More detailed description of the experiment and calculations can be found in: hep-ph/0506200Comment: Final published version, 4 pages, references adde

Gravitational Wave Detection by Interferometry (Ground and Space)

Significant progress has been made in recent years on the development of gravitational wave detectors. Sources such as coalescing compact binary systems, neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binaries, stellar collapses and pulsars are all possible candidates for detection. The most promising design of gravitational wave detector uses test masses a long distance apart and freely suspended as pendulums on Earth or in drag-free craft in space. The main theme of this review is a discussion of the mechanical and optical principles used in the various long baseline systems in operation around the world - LIGO (USA), Virgo (Italy/France), TAMA300 and LCGT (Japan), and GEO600 (Germany/U.K.) - and in LISA, a proposed space-borne interferometer. A review of recent science runs from the current generation of ground-based detectors will be discussed, in addition to highlighting the astrophysical results gained thus far. Looking to the future, the major upgrades to LIGO (Advanced LIGO), Virgo (Advanced Virgo), LCGT and GEO600 (GEO-HF) will be completed over the coming years, which will create a network of detectors with significantly improved sensitivity required to detect gravitational waves. Beyond this, the concept and design of possible future "third generation" gravitational wave detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope (ET), will be discussed.Comment: Published in Living Reviews in Relativit

Nanometer axial resolution by three-dimensional supercritical angle fluorescence microscopy

We report a noninvasive fluorescence microscopy method and demonstrate nanometer resolution along the optical axis. The technique is based on the influence of the microscope slide on the angular intensity distribution of fluorescence. Axial positions are determined by measuring the proportion of light emitted below the critical angle of total internal reflection, which behaves in a classical way, and light emitted above the critical angle, which is exponentially dependent on the distance of the fluorophore from the microscope slide

Supercritical angle fluorescence immunoassay platform

An inexpensive and easy-to-use immunoassay platform for the sensitive detection of analytes is presented. It comprises single-use polymer test tubes and a compact fluorescence reader. The optics for the capture of supercritical angle fluorescence (SAF) has been built into the tubes allowing for the extremely sensitive readout of solid phase immunoassays in real time and without washing steps. One-step sandwich immunoassays with interleukin 2 (IL-2) were carried out with capture antibodies immobilized in the tubes. At a turn around time of 12 min, the limit of detection for IL-2 was 0.27 pM (4.5 pg/mL) and the linear range covered 3 orders of magnitude. The developed technology is also adaptable to well plates and has great potential of replacing the work-intensive and time-consuming enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA)

Rotating Michelson-Morley experiment based on a dual cavity cryogenic sapphire oscillator

Conference name in French = 19è Forum Europeen Temps-Frequence (Actes)Recent experiments based on cryogenic microwave [1,2,3] and optical [4,5] oscillators have tested the isotropy of the speed of light (Michelson-Morley experiment) at sensitivities of the order of a part in 1015. Further improvements of the accuracy in this type of experiment are not expected due to the already long data set and systematic error limits [2]. We have constructed a new rotating Michelson-Morley experiment consisting of two cylindrical cryogenic sapphire resonators. By rotating the experiment our sensitivity to light speed anisotropy is increased, as the relevant time variations are at the rotation frequency where the frequency stability of the cryogenic oscillators is the best. Preliminary data has been analyzed using the frameworks of Robertson, Mansouri and Sexl (RMS) and the Standard Model Extension (SME), and the results are presented.P.L. Stanwix, M.E. Tobar, M. Susli, C.R. Locke, E.N. Ivanov, J. Winterflood, J.G. Hartnett, F. van Kann, P. Wol

Second-generation laser interferometry for gravitational wave detection: ACIGA progress

Reasonable event rate gravitational wave astronomy in the audio frequency detection band will require improving the sensitivity of long-baseline interferometer-based gravitational wave detectors currently under construction by at least a factor of 10. In this summary we report research being carried out by the Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy towards this end.D E McClelland, S M Scott, M B Gray, D A Shaddock, B J Slagmolen, A Searle, D G Blair, L Ju, J Winterflood, F Benabid, M Baker, J Munch, P J Veitch, M W Hamilton, M Ostermeyer, D Mudge, D Ottaway and C Hollit

Search for black hole ringdown signals in LIGO S4 data

Copyright © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited 2006 Peter Veitch, Jesper Munch, Damien Mudge, Aidan Brooks and David Hosken are members of the LIGO Scientific CollaborationIf a coalescing binary system results in a black hole we expect it to be a perturbed Kerr black hole and to radiate gravitational waves in the form of ringdowns. A search for such signals in data from the fourth LIGO science run is currently being developed. In this paper we outline the theory on which this search is based and use it to predict the range for this data set.Lisa M Goggin (for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration