1,057 research outputs found
Precise calibration of LIGO test mass actuators using photon radiation pressure
Precise calibration of kilometer-scale interferometric gravitational wave
detectors is crucial for source localization and waveform reconstruction. A
technique that uses the radiation pressure of a power-modulated auxiliary laser
to induce calibrated displacements of one of the ~10 kg arm cavity mirrors, a
so-called photon calibrator, has been demonstrated previously and has recently
been implemented on the LIGO detectors. In this article, we discuss the
inherent precision and accuracy of the LIGO photon calibrators and several
improvements that have been developed to reduce the estimated voice coil
actuator calibration uncertainties to less than 2 percent (1-sigma). These
improvements include accounting for rotation-induced apparent length variations
caused by interferometer and photon calibrator beam centering offsets, absolute
laser power measurement using temperature-controlled InGaAs photodetectors
mounted on integrating spheres and calibrated by NIST, minimizing errors
induced by localized elastic deformation of the mirror surface by using a
two-beam configuration with the photon calibrator beams symmetrically displaced
about the center of the optic, and simultaneously actuating the test mass with
voice coil actuators and the photon calibrator to minimize fluctuations caused
by the changing interferometer response. The photon calibrator is able to
operate in the most sensitive interferometer configuration, and is expected to
become a primary calibration method for future gravitational wave searches.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Classical and Quantum Gravit
Precise calibration of LIGO test mass actuators using photon radiation pressure
Precise calibration of kilometer-scale interferometric gravitational wave
detectors is crucial for source localization and waveform reconstruction. A
technique that uses the radiation pressure of a power-modulated auxiliary laser
to induce calibrated displacements of one of the ~10 kg arm cavity mirrors, a
so-called photon calibrator, has been demonstrated previously and has recently
been implemented on the LIGO detectors. In this article, we discuss the
inherent precision and accuracy of the LIGO photon calibrators and several
improvements that have been developed to reduce the estimated voice coil
actuator calibration uncertainties to less than 2 percent (1-sigma). These
improvements include accounting for rotation-induced apparent length variations
caused by interferometer and photon calibrator beam centering offsets, absolute
laser power measurement using temperature-controlled InGaAs photodetectors
mounted on integrating spheres and calibrated by NIST, minimizing errors
induced by localized elastic deformation of the mirror surface by using a
two-beam configuration with the photon calibrator beams symmetrically displaced
about the center of the optic, and simultaneously actuating the test mass with
voice coil actuators and the photon calibrator to minimize fluctuations caused
by the changing interferometer response. The photon calibrator is able to
operate in the most sensitive interferometer configuration, and is expected to
become a primary calibration method for future gravitational wave searches.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Classical and Quantum Gravit
Status of the joint LIGO--TAMA300 inspiral analysis
We present the status of the joint search for gravitational waves from
inspiraling neutron star binaries in the LIGO Science Run 2 and TAMA300 Data
Taking Run 8 data, which was taken from February 14 to April 14, 2003, by the
LIGO and TAMA collaborations. In this paper we discuss what has been learned
from an analysis of a subset of the data sample reserved as a ``playground''.
We determine the coincidence conditions for parameters such as the coalescence
time and chirp mass by injecting simulated Galactic binary neutron star signals
into the data stream. We select coincidence conditions so as to maximize our
efficiency of detecting simulated signals. We obtain an efficiency for our
coincident search of 78 %, and show that we are missing primarily very distant
signals for TAMA300. We perform a time slide analysis to estimate the
background due to accidental coincidence of noise triggers. We find that the
background triggers have a very different character from the triggers of
simulated signals.Comment: 10 page, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum
Gravity for the special issue of the GWDAW9 Proceedings ; Corrected typos,
minor change
Control sideband generation for dual-recycled laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors
We present a discussion of the problems associated with generation of multiple control sidebands for length sensing and control of dual-recycled, cavity-enhanced Michelson interferometers and the motivation behind more complicated sideband generation methods. We focus on the Mach–Zehnder interferometer as a topological solution to the problem and present results from tests carried out at the Caltech 40 m prototype gravitational wave detector. The consequences for sensing and control for advanced interferometry are discussed, as are the implications for future interferometers such as Advanced LIGO
X-ray emission during the muonic cascade in hydrogen
We report our investigations of X rays emitted during the muonic cascade in
hydrogen employing charge coupled devices as X-ray detectors. The density
dependence of the relative X-ray yields for the muonic hydrogen lines (K_alpha,
K_beta, K_gamma) has been measured at densities between 0.00115 and 0.97 of
liquid hydrogen density. In this density region collisional processes dominate
the cascade down to low energy levels. A comparison with recent calculations is
given in order to demonstrate the influence of Coulomb deexcitation.Comment: 5 pages, Tex, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter
Chiral Perturbation Theory and the pp -> pp pi0 Reaction Near Threshold
A chiral-perturbative consideration of the near-threshold pp -> pp pi0
reaction indicates that the pion-rescattering term has a substantial energy and
momentum dependence. The existing calculations that incorporate this dependence
give pion rescattering contributions significantly larger than those of the
conventional treatment, and this enhanced rescattering term interferes
destructively with the one-body impulse term, leading to theoretical cross
sections that are much smaller than the observed values. However, since the
existing calculations are based on coordinate-space representation, they
involve a number of simplifying assumptions about the energy-momentum flow in
the rescattering diagram, even though the delicate interplay between the
one-body and two-body terms makes it desirable to avoid these kinematical
assumptions. We carry out here a momentum-space calculation that retains the
energy-momentum dependence of the vertices as predicted by chiral perturbation
theory. Our improved treatment increases the rescattering amplitude by a factor
of 3 over the value obtained in the r-space calculations. The pp -> pp pi0
transition amplitude, which is now dominated by the rescattering term, leads to
the cross section much larger than what was reported in the approximate r-space
calculations. Thus, the extremely small cross sections obtained in the previous
chiral perturbative treatments of this reaction should be considered as an
accidental consequence of the approximations employed rather than a general
feature.Comment: 25 pages,REVTEX, 5 ps figure
Triple Michelson Interferometer for a Third-Generation Gravitational Wave Detector
The upcoming European design study `Einstein gravitational-wave Telescope'
represents the first step towards a substantial, international effort for the
design of a third-generation interferometric gravitational wave detector. It is
generally believed that third-generation instruments might not be installed
into existing infrastructures but will provoke a new search for optimal
detector sites. Consequently, the detector design could be subject to fewer
constraints than the on-going design of the second generation instruments. In
particular, it will be prudent to investigate alternatives to the traditional
L-shaped Michelson interferometer. In this article, we review an old proposal
to use three Michelson interferometers in a triangular configuration. We use
this example of a triple Michelson interferometer to clarify the terminology
and will put this idea into the context of more recent research on
interferometer technologies. Furthermore the benefits of a triangular detector
will be used to motivate this design as a good starting point for a more
detailed research effort towards a third-generation gravitational wave
detector.Comment: Minor corrections to the main text and two additional appendices. 14
pages, 6 figure
Long term study of the seismic environment at LIGO
The LIGO experiment aims to detect and study gravitational waves using ground
based laser interferometry. A critical factor to the performance of the
interferometers, and a major consideration in the design of possible future
upgrades, is isolation of the interferometer optics from seismic noise. We
present the results of a detailed program of measurements of the seismic
environment surrounding the LIGO interferometers. We describe the experimental
configuration used to collect the data, which was acquired over a 613 day
period. The measurements focused on the frequency range 0.1-10 Hz, in which the
secondary microseismic peak and noise due to human activity in the vicinity of
the detectors was found to be particularly critical to interferometer
performance. We compare the statistical distribution of the data sets from the
two interferometer sites, construct amplitude spectral densities of seismic
noise amplitude fluctuations with periods of up to 3 months, and analyze the
data for any long term trends in the amplitude of seismic noise in this
critical frequency range.Comment: To be published in Classical and Quantum Gravity. 24 pages, 15
figure
Low-energy Pion-nucleon Scattering
This paper contains the results of an analysis of recent low-energy
pion-nucleon scattering experiments. Obtained are phase shifts, the
pion-nucleon coupling constant and an estimate of the Sigma term.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures, LaTe
Determination of the pion-nucleon coupling constant and scattering lengths
We critically evaluate the isovector GMO sum rule for forward pion-nucleon
scattering using the recent precision measurements of negatively charged
pion-proton and pion-deuteron scattering lengths from pionic atoms. We deduce
the charged-pion-nucleon coupling constant, with careful attention to
systematic and statistical uncertainties. This determination gives, directly
from data a pseudoscalar coupling constant of
14.11+-0.05(statistical)+-0.19(systematic) or a pseudovector one of 0.0783(11).
This value is intermediate between that of indirect methods and the direct
determination from backward neutron-proton differential scattering cross
sections. We also use the pionic atom data to deduce the coherent symmetric and
antisymmetric sums of the negatively charged pion-proton and pion-neutron
scattering lengths with high precision. The symmetric sum gives
0.0012+-0.0002(statistical)+-0.0008 (systematic) and the antisymmetric one
0.0895+-0.0003(statistical)+-0.0013(systematic), both in units of inverse
charged pion-mass. For the need of the present analysis, we improve the
theoretical description of the pion-deuteron scattering length.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, few modifications and
clarifications, no change in substance of the pape
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