Stray Magnetic Field Compensation with a Scalar Atomic Magnetometer

We describe a system for the compensation of time-dependent stray magnetic fields using a dual channel scalar magnetometer based on non-linear Faraday rotation in synchronously optically pumped Cs vapour. We detail the active control strategy, with an emphasis on the electronic circuitry, based on a simple phase-locked-loop integrated circuit. The performance and limits of the system developed are tested and discussed. The system was applied to significantly improve the detection of free induction decay signals from protons of remotely magnetized water precessing in an ultra-low magnetic field.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 31 refs, v2 (with minor improvements) appearing in Rev.Sc.Instr. June 201

Thermal Control of a Dual Mode Parametric Sapphire Transducer

We propose a method to control the thermal stability of a sapphire dielectric transducer made with two dielectric disks separated by a thin gap and resonating in the whispering gallery (WG) modes of the electromagnetic field. The simultaneous measurement of the frequencies of both a WGH mode and a WGE mode allows one to discriminate the frequency shifts due to gap variations from those due to temperature instability. A simple model, valid in quasi equilibrium conditions, describes the frequency shift of the two modes in terms of four tuning parameters. A procedure for the direct measurement of them is presented.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, presented at EFTF-IFCS joint conference 200

First deep underground observation of rotational signals from an earthquake at teleseismic distance using a large ring laser gyroscope

Recent advances in large ring laser gyroscopes (RLG) technologies opened the possibility to observe rotations of the ground with sensitivities up to $10^{-11}$ $\frac{rad}{s}$ over the frequency band of seismological interest (0.01-1Hz), thus opening the way to a new geophysical discipline, i.e. rotational seismology. A measure of rotations in seismology is of fundamental interest for (a) the determination of all the six degrees of freedom that characterize a rigid body motion, and (b) the quantitative estimate of the rotational motions contaminating ground translation measurements obtained from standard seismometers. Within this framework, this paper presents and describes GINGERino, a new large observatory-class RLG located in Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS), one national laboratories of the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare). We also report unprecedented observations and analyses of the roto-translational signals from a tele-seismic event observed in such a deep underground environment

Testing general relativity by means of ring lasers

The paper discusses the optimal conguration of one or more ring lasers to be used for measuring the general relativistic effects of the rotation of the Earth, as manifested on the surface of the planet. The analysis is focused on devices having their normal vector lying in the meridian plane. The crucial role of the evaluation of the angles is evidenced. Special attention is paid to the orientation at the maximum signal, minimizing the sensitivity to the orientation uncertainty. The use of rings at different latitudes is mentioned and the problem of the non-sphericity of the Earth is commented

Testing general relativity by means of ring lasers

The paper discusses the optimal conguration of one or more ring lasers to be used for measuring the general relativistic effects of the rotation of the Earth, as manifested on the surface of the planet. The analysis is focused on devices having their normal vector lying in the meridian plane. The crucial role of the evaluation of the angles is evidenced. Special attention is paid to the orientation at the maximum signal, minimizing the sensitivity to the orientation uncertainty. The use of rings at different latitudes is mentioned and the problem of the non-sphericity of the Earth is commented

Measuring the Virgo area tilt noise with a laser gyroscope

We report on the measurements of tilt noise performed at the Virgo site with a ring laser gyroscope. The apparatus is a He-Ne laser operating in a square cavity mounted on a vertical plane perpendicular to the north-south arm of the inteferometer. We discuss the possibility of using the ring laser signal to improve the performances of the control system of the Virgo seismic suspensions. The comparison between the ring laser signal and the control signals for the longitudinal translations of the inverted pendulum (IP) shows remarkable coherence in the frequency range 20-200 mHz.Comment: 4 pages, Proceedings of 46th Rencontres de Morion

High-Accuracy Ring Laser Gyroscopes: Earth Rotation Rate and Relativistic Effects

The Gross Ring G is a square ring laser gyroscope, built as a monolithic Zerodur structure with 4 m length on all sides. It has demonstrated that a large ring laser provides a sensitivity high enough to measure the rotational rate of the Earth with a high precision of ∆ΩE < 10-8. It is possible to show that further improvement in accuracy could allow the observation of the metric frame dragging, produced by the Earth rotating mass (Lense-Thirring effect), as predicted by General Relativity. Furthermore, it can provide a local measurement of the Earth rotational rate with a sensitivity near to that provided by the international system IERS. The GINGER project is intending to take this level of sensitivity further and to improve the accuracy and the long-term stability. A monolithic structure similar to the G ring laser is not available for GINGER. Therefore the preliminary goal is the demonstration of the feasibility of a larger gyroscope structure, where the mechanical stability is obtained through an active control of the geometry. A prototype moderate size gyroscope (GP-2) has been set up in Pisa in order to test this active control of the ring geometry, while a second structure (GINGERino) has been installed inside the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in order to investigate the properties of a deep underground laboratory in view of an installation of a future GINGER apparatus. The preliminary data on these two latter instruments are presented

GINGER: A feasibility study

GINGER (Gyroscopes IN General Relativity) is a proposal for an Earth-based experiment to measure the Lense-Thirring (LT) and de Sitter effects. GINGER is based on ring lasers, which are the most sensitive inertial sensors to measure the rotation rate of the Earth. We show that two ring lasers, one at maximum signal and the other horizontal, would be the simplest configuration able to retrieve the GR effects. Here, we discuss this configuration in detail showing that it would have the capability to test LT effect at 1%, provided the accuracy of the scale factor of the instrument at the level of 1 part in 1012 is reached. In principle, one single ring laser could do the test, but the combination of the two ring lasers gives the necessary redundancy and the possibility to verify that the systematics of the lasers are sufficiently small. The discussion can be generalised to seismology and geodesy and it is possible to say that signals 10-12 orders of magnitude below the Earth rotation rate can be studied; the proposed array can be seen as the basic element of multi-axial systems, and the generalisation to three dimensions is feasible adding one or two devices and monitoring the relative angles between different ring lasers. This simple array can be used to measure with very high precision the amplitude of angular rotation rate (the length of the day, LOD), its short term variations, and the angle between the angular rotation vector and the horizontal ring laser. Finally this experiment could be useful to probe gravity at fundamental level giving indications on violations of Einstein Equivalence Principle and Lorenz Invariance and possible chiral effects in the gravitational field

Horizontal rotation signals detected by "G-Pisa" ring laser for the Mw=9.0, March 2011, Japan earthquake

We report the observation of the ground rotation induced by the Mw=9.0, 11th of March 2011, Japan earthquake. The rotation measurements have been conducted with a ring laser gyroscope operating in a vertical plane, thus detecting rotations around the horizontal axis. Comparison of ground rotations with vertical accelerations from a co-located force-balance accelerometer shows excellent ring laser coupling at periods longer than 100s. Under the plane wave assumption, we derive a theoretical relationship between horizontal rotation and vertical acceleration for Rayleigh waves. Due to the oblique mounting of the gyroscope with respect to the wave direction-of-arrival, apparent velocities derived from the acceleration / rotation rate ratio are expected to be always larger than, or equal to the true wave propagation velocity. This hypothesis is confirmed through comparison with fundamental-mode, Rayleigh wave phase velocities predicted for a standard Earth model.Comment: Accepted for publication in Journal of Seismolog

First deep underground observation of rotational signals from an earthquake at teleseismic distance using a large ring laser gyroscope

Recent advances in large ring laser gyroscopes (RLG) technologies opened the possibility to observe rotations of the ground with sensitivities up to 10 11 rad/sec over the frequency band of seismological interest (0.01-1Hz), thus opening the way to a new geophysical discipline, i.e. rotational seismology. A measure of rotations in seismology is of fundamental interest for (a) the determination of all the six degrees of freedom that characterize a rigid body’s motion, and (b) the quantitative estimate of the rotational motions contaminating ground translation measurements obtained from standard seismometers. Within this framework, this paper presents and describes GINGERino, a new large observatory-class RLG located in Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS), one national laboratories of the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare). We also report unprecedented observations and analyses of the roto-translational signals from a tele-seismic event observed in such a deep underground environment