294 research outputs found
Gravitational waves: Perspectives of detection
With Giovanni Losurdo, the PI of Advanced Virgo, we recently
dwelled on this subject in an invited review paper [1]. Here I first give a short introduction by answering in brief to a few basic and relevant questions, which I was often asked by colleagues not specifically working on gravitation. Then I highlight the main considerations discussed in [1], in a sort of guide for the reader, where more details and an extensive reference list can be found. For more complete info, I call the attention to a number of beautiful pictures, kindly provided by my colleagues, which I put on the IFAE website, but are not given here nor in [1]. After publication of [1], a few relevant developments occurred, especially in the long-term planning of experiments, on which I report here. To update the references would have resulted in adding some sort of ten percent more than those in [1], so I have added only a few, which I rate most recent and particularly relevant to the relative issue
Non-linear axisymmetric pulsations of rotating relativistic stars in the conformal flatness approximation
We study non-linear axisymmetric pulsations of rotating relativistic stars
using a general relativistic hydrodynamics code under the assumption of a
conformal flatness. We compare our results to previous simulations where the
spacetime dynamics was neglected. The pulsations are studied along various
sequences of both uniformly and differentially rotating relativistic polytropes
with index N = 1. We identify several modes, including the lowest-order l = 0,
2, and 4 axisymmetric modes, as well as several axisymmetric inertial modes.
Differential rotation significantly lowers mode frequencies, increasing
prospects for detection by current gravitational wave interferometers. We
observe an extended avoided crossing between the l = 0 and l = 4 first
overtones, which is important for correctly identifying mode frequencies in
case of detection. For uniformly rotating stars near the mass-shedding limit,
we confirm the existence of the mass-shedding-induced damping of pulsations,
though the effect is not as strong as in the Cowling approximation. We also
investigate non-linear harmonics of the linear modes and notice that rotation
changes the pulsation frequencies in a way that would allow for various
parametric instabilities between two or three modes to take place. We assess
the detectability of each obtained mode by current gravitational wave detectors
and outline how the empirical relations that have been constructed for
gravitational wave asteroseismology could be extended to include the effects of
rotation.Comment: 24 pages, 20 figures; minor corrections, added extended discussion
and one figure in one subsectio
Experimental measurement of photothermal effect in Fabry-Perot cavities
We report the experimental observation of the photothermal effect. The
measurements are performed by modulating the laser power absorbed by the
mirrors of two high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavities. The results are very well
described by a recently proposed theoretical model [M. Cerdonio, L. Conti, A.
Heidmann and M. Pinard, Phys. Rev. D 63 (2001) 082003], confirming the
correctness of such calculations. Our observations and quantitative
characterization of the photothermal effect demonstrate its critical importance
for high sensitivity interferometric displacement measurements, as those
necessary for gravitational wave detection.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Room temperature GW bar detector with opto-mechanical readout
We present the full implementation of a room-temperature gravitational wave
bar detector equipped with an opto-mechanical readout. The mechanical
vibrations are read by a Fabry--Perot interferometer whose length changes are
compared with a stable reference optical cavity by means of a resonant laser.
The detector performance is completely characterized in terms of spectral
sensitivity and statistical properties of the fluctuations in the system output
signal. The new kind of readout technique allows for wide-band detection
sensitivity and we can accurately test the model of the coupled oscillators for
thermal noise. Our results are very promising in view of cryogenic operation
and represent an important step towards significant improvements in the
performance of massive gravitational wave detectors.Comment: 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Ion mobility discontinuities in superfluid helium: A test of the Huang-Olinto theory
A new method has been developed for making sensitive differential measurements of ion mobilities in liquid helium. Using this method, it has been possible to make a definitive test of the part of the Huang-Olinto theory intended to explain discontinuities in ion mobilities in superfluid helium. The theory has been found to be incorrect
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