Computation of schenberg response function by using finite element modelling

Schenberg is a detector of gravitational waves resonant mass type, with a central frequency of operation of 3200 Hz. Transducers located on the surface of the resonating sphere, according to a distribution half-dodecahedron, are used to monitor a strain amplitude. The development of mechanical impedance matchers that act by increasing the coupling of the transducers with the sphere is a major challenge because of the high frequency and small in size. The objective of this work is to study the Schenberg response function obtained by finite element modeling (FEM). Finnaly, the result is compared with the result of the simplified model for mass spring type system modeling verifying if that is suitable for the determination of sensitivity detector, as the conclusion the both modeling give the same results.Sao Paulo Federal Institute Rua Pedro Vicente 625, 01109-010 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFederal University of Sao Paulo, Department of Exact and Earth Sciences Rua Sao Nicolau 120, 09913-030 Diadema, SP, BrazilFederal University of Sao Paulo, Department of Exact and Earth Sciences Rua Sao Nicolau 120, 09913-030 Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Thermal connection and vibrational isolation: an elegant solution for two problems

Schenberg is a detector of gravitational waves resonant mass type, with a central frequency of operation of 3200 Hz. Transducers located on the surface of the resonating sphere, according to a distribution half-dodecahedron, are used to monitor a strain amplitude. To improve the performance of the detector it is essential to decrease the temperature, then it will be cooled down, this temperature could reach as low as 50 mK. This refrigerator produces vibration noise that could compromise the performance of Schenberg detector. In this work we the study such vibration noise and how it could be minimized proposing a new connection from the dilution refrigerator to the sphere suspension. The vibration attenuation is studied by finite element modeling (FEM) and an attenuation higher than 1024 is found, higher enough to note compromise the performance of Schenberg detector.Sao Paulo Federal Institute Rua Pedro Vicente 625, 01109-010 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFederal University of Sao Paulo, Department of Exact and Earth Sciences Rua Sao Nicolau 120, 09913-030 Diadema, SP, BrazilINPE Astrophysics Division, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, 12227-010, BrazilFederal University of Sao Paulo, Department of Exact and Earth Sciences Rua Sao Nicolau 120, 09913-030 Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Can lightning be a noise source for a spherical gravitational wave antenna?

The detection of gravitational waves is a very active research field at the moment. In Brazil the gravitational wave detector is called Mario SCHENBERG. Due to its high sensitivity it is necessary to model mathematically all known noise sources so that digital filters can be developed that maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. One of the noise sources that must be considered are the disturbances caused by electromagnetic pulses due to lightning close to the experiment. Such disturbances may influence the vibrations of the antenna's normal modes and mask possible gravitational wave signals. In this work we model the interaction between lightning and SCHENBERG antenna and calculate the intensity of the noise due to a close lightning stroke in the detected signal. We find that the noise generated does not disturb the experiment significantly.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

On the Sensitivity of a Hollow Sphere as a Multi-modal Resonant Gravitational Wave Detector

We present a numerical analysis to simulate the response of a spherical resonant gravitational wave detector and to compute its sensitivity. Under the assump- tion of optimal filtering, we work out the sensitivity curve for a sphere first taking into account only a single transducer, and then using a coherent analysis of the whole set of transducers.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, published versio

Status Report Of The Schenberg Gravitational Wave Antenna

Here we present a status report of the Schenberg antenna. In the past three years it has gone to a radical upgrading operation, in which we have been installing a 1K pot dilution refrigerator, cabling and amplifiers for nine transducer circuits, designing a new suspension and vibration isolation system for the microstrip antennas, and developing a full set of new transducers, microstrip antennas, and oscillators. We are also studying an innovative approach, which could transform Schenberg into a broadband gravitational wave detector.3631Aguiar, O.D., (2002) Class. Quantum Grav., 19, p. 1949Aguiar, O.D., (2004) Class. Quantum Grav., 21, pp. S457Aguiar, O.D., (2005) Class. Quantum Grav., 22, pp. S209Aguiar, O.D., (2006) Class. Quantum Grav., 23, pp. S239Aguiar, O.D., (2008) Class. Quantum Grav., 25, p. 114042Costa, C.A., (2008) Class. Quantum Grav., 25, p. 184002Johnson, W.W., Merkowitz, S.M., (1993) Phys. Rev. Lett., 70, p. 2367Coccia, E., Lobo, J.A., Ortega, J.A., (1995) Phys. Rev. D, 52, p. 3735Thorne, K.S., (1978) Phys. Rev. Lett., 40, p. 667Tobar, M.E., Ivanov, E.N., Blair, D.G., (2000) Gen. Rel. Grav., 32, p. 1799De Waard, (2005) Class. Quantum Grav., 22, pp. S215Vinet, J.-Y., (2010) Research in Astron Astrophys., 10, p. 956Costa, C.A., Aguiar, O.D., Magalhães, N.S., (2004) Class. Quantum Grav., 21, pp. S827Forward, R.L., (1971) Gen. Rel. Grav., 2, p. 149Eardley, D.M., Lee, D.L., Lightman, A.P., Wagoner, R.V., Will, C.M., (1973) Phys. Rev. Lett., 30, p. 884Bianchi, M., Coccia, E., Colacino, C.N., Fafone, V., Fucito, F., (1996) Class. Quantum Grav., 13, p. 2865Andrade, L.A., (2009) Microwave and Optical Tech. Lett., 51, p. 1120Furtado, S.R., (2012), in preparationIvanov, E.N., Hartnett, J.G., Tobar, M.E., (2000) IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelect., Freq. Contr., 47, p. 1526Pimentel, G.L., (2008) J. Phys. Conf. Series, 122, p. 012028Aguiar, (2009) Int. J. Modern Phys. D, 18, p. 2317Furtado, S.R., (2009), Ph.D. Thesis at INPE, not publishedBraginsky, V.B., Vorontsov, Y.I., Thorne, K.S., (1980) Science, 209, p. 547Thorne, K.S., The Quantum Limit for Gravitational-Wave Detectors and Methods of Circumventing It (1979) Sources of Gravitational Waves, p. 49. , ed. L L Smarr, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, US