84 research outputs found
Suspension of the fiber mode-cleaner launcher and measurement of the high extinction-ratio (10^{-9}) ellipsometer for the Q & A experiment
The Q & A experiment, first proposed and started in 1994, provides a feasible
way of exploring the quantum vacuum through the detection of vacuum
birefringence effect generated by QED loop diagram and the detection of the
polarization rotation effect generated by photon-interacting (pseudo-)scalar
particles. Three main parts of the experiment are: (1) Optics System (including
associated Electronic System) based on a suspended 3.5-m high finesse
Fabry-Perot cavity, (2) Ellipsometer using ultra-high extinction-ratio
polarizer and analyzer, and (3) Magnetic Field Modulation System for generating
the birefringence and the polarization rotation effect. In 2002, the Q & A
experiment achieved the Phase I sensitivity goal. During Phase II, we set (i)
to improve the control system of the cavity mirrors for suppressing the
relative motion noise, (ii) to enhance the birefringence signal by setting-up a
60-cm long 2.3 T transverse permanent magnet rotatable to 10 rev/s, (iii) to
reduce geometrical noise by inserting a polarization-maintaining optical fiber
(PM fiber) as a mode cleaner, and (iv) to use ultra-high extinction-ratio
(10^{-9}) polarizer and analyzer for ellipsometry. Here we report on (iii) &
(iv); specifically, we present the properties of the PM-fiber mode-cleaner, the
transfer function of its suspension system, and the result of our measurement
of high extinction-ratio polarizer and analyzer.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, presented in the 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on
Gravitational Waves, Okinawa, Japan, June 2005, and accepted by "Journal of
Physics: Conference Series". Modifications from version 2 were made based on
the referees' comments on figures. Ref. [31] were update
Ellipsometry noise spectrum, suspension transfer function measurement and closed-loop control of the suspension system in the Q & A experiment
The Q & A experiment, aiming at the detection of vacuum birefringence
predicted by quantum electrodynamics, consists mainly of a suspended 3.5 m
Fabry-Perot cavity, a rotating permanent dipole magnet and an ellipsometer. The
2.3 T magnet can rotate up to 10 rev/s, introducing an ellipticity signal at
twice the rotation frequency. The X-pendulum gives a good isolation ratio for
seismic noise above its main resonant frequency 0.3 Hz. At present, the
ellipsometry noise decreases with frequency, from 1*10^{-5} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 5
Hz, 2*10^{-6} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 20 Hz to 5*10^{-7} rad Hz^{-1/2} at 40 Hz. The
shape of the noise spectrum indicates possible improvement can be made by
further reducing the movement between the cavity mirrors. From the preliminary
result of yaw motion alignment control, it can be seen that some peaks due to
yaw motion of the cavity mirror was suppressed. In this paper, we first give a
schematic view of the Q & A experiment, and then present the measurement of
transfer function of the compound X-pendulum-double pendulum suspension. A
closed-loop control was carried out to verify the validity of the measured
transfer functions. The ellipsometry noise spectra with and without yaw
alignment control and the newest improvement is presented.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, presented in 6th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on
Gravitational Waves, June 2005, Okinawa Japan and submitted to Journal of
Physics: Conference Series. Some modifications are made according to the
referee's comments: mainly to explain the relation between the displacement
of cavity mirror and the ellipticity noise spectru
A 2nd generation cosmic axion experiment
An experiment is described to detect dark matter axions trapped in the halo
of our galaxy. Galactic axions are converted into microwave photons via the
Primakoff effect in a static background field provided by a superconducting
magnet. The photons are collected in a high Q microwave cavity and detected by
a low noise receiver. The axion mass range accessible by this experiment is
1.3-13 micro-eV. The expected sensitivity will be roughly 50 times greater than
achieved by previous experiments in this mass range. The assembly of the
detector is well under way at LLNL and data taking will start in mid-1995.Comment: Postscript, 6 pages, 4 figures; submitted to proceedings of: XXXth
Recontres de Moriond, 'Dark Matter in Cosmology", Villars-sur-Ollon,
Switzerland, Jan 21-28, 199
First results from a second generation galactic axion experiment
We report first results from a large scale search for dark matter axions. The experiment probes axion masses of 1.3-13 micro-eV at a sensitivity which is about 50 times higher than previous pilot experiments. We have already scanned part of this mass range at a sensitivity better than required to see at least one generic axion model, the KSVZ axion. Data taking at full sensitivity commenced in February 1996 and scanning the proposed mass range will require three years
Recommended from our members
Production of w's and study of deep inelastic reactions by very high energy neutrinos
A spark chamber and scintillation counter experiment using very high energy neutrinos is proposed using a total of 2 x 10{sup 18} protons at 500 GeV in Area 1 at NAL. The purposes are simultaneously (1) to search for {nu} + Z {yields} Z + {mu}{sup -} + W{sup +}; W{sup +} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{nu}, e{sup +}{nu}, and various hadron decay modes, (2) to analyze {nu} + A {yields} {mu}{sup -} + {Gamma} ({Gamma} = hadronic products) for large energy and momentum transfers and (3) to search with an unrestricted trigger and good analyzing power for low cross section or exotic reactions in this new energy region
QED and the High Polarization of the Thermal Radiation from Neutron Stars
The thermal emission of strongly magnetized neutron-star atmospheres is
thought to be highly polarized. However, because of the different orientations
of the magnetic field over the surface of the neutron star (NS), it is commonly
assumed that the net observed polarization will be significantly reduced as the
polarization from different regions will cancel each other. We show that the
birefringence of the magnetized QED vacuum decouples the polarization modes in
the magnetosphere; therefore, the direction of the polarization follows the
direction of the magnetic field up to a large distance from the stellar
surface. At this distance, the rays that leave the surface and are destined for
our detectors pass through only a small solid angle; consequently, the
polarization direction of the emission originating in different regions will
tend to align together. The net observed polarization of the thermal radiation
of NSs should therefore be very large. Measurement of this polarization will be
the first direct evidence of the birefringence of the magnetized vacuum due to
QED and a direct probe of behavior of the vacuum at magnetic fields of order of
and above the critical QED field of 4.4 x 10 13 G. The large observable
polarization will also help us learn more about the atmospheric properties of
NSs.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, minor changes to reflect accepted versio
- …