1,643 research outputs found
Machine-learning nonstationary noise out of gravitational-wave detectors
Signal extraction out of background noise is a common challenge in high-precision physics experiments, where the measurement output is often a continuous data stream. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection, witness sensors are often used to independently measure background noises and subtract them from the main signal. If the noise coupling is linear and stationary, optimal techniques already exist and are routinely implemented in many experiments. However, when the noise coupling is nonstationary, linear techniques often fail or are suboptimal. Inspired by the properties of the background noise in gravitational wave detectors, this work develops a novel algorithm to efficiently characterize and remove nonstationary noise couplings, provided there exist witnesses of the noise source and of the modulation. In this work, the algorithm is described in its most general formulation, and its efficiency is demonstrated with examples from the data of the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave observatory, where we could obtain an improvement of the detector gravitational-wave reach without introducing any bias on the source parameter estimation
Improving LIGO calibration accuracy by tracking and compensating for slow temporal variations
Calibration of the second-generation LIGO interferometric gravitational-wave
detectors employs a method that uses injected periodic modulations to track and
compensate for slow temporal variations in the differential length response of
the instruments. These detectors utilize feedback control loops to maintain
resonance conditions by suppressing differential arm length variations. We
describe how the sensing and actuation functions of these servo loops are
parameterized and how the slow variations in these parameters are quantified
using the injected modulations. We report the results of applying this method
to the LIGO detectors and show that it significantly reduces systematic errors
in their calibrated outputs.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures. This is an author-created, un-copyedited version
of an article published in Classical and Quantum Gravity. IOP Publishing Ltd
is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the
manuscript or any version derived from i
Low Frequency Tilt Seismology with a Precision Ground Rotation Sensor
We describe measurements of the rotational component of teleseismic surface
waves using an inertial high-precision ground-rotation-sensor installed at the
LIGO Hanford Observatory (LHO). The sensor has a noise floor of 0.4 nrad at 50 mHz and a translational coupling of less than 1 rad/m
enabling translation-free measurement of small rotations. We present
observations of the rotational motion from Rayleigh waves of six teleseismic
events from varied locations and with magnitudes ranging from M6.7 to M7.9.
These events were used to estimate phase dispersion curves which shows
agreement with a similar analysis done with an array of three STS-2
seismometers also located at LHO
Optical properties of cometary particles collected by the COSIMA mass spectrometer on-board <i>Rosetta</i> during the rendezvous phase around comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
40 000 collected cometary particles have been identified on the 21 targets exposed by the COSIMA experiment on-board Rosetta to the environment of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from 2014 August to 2016 September. The images of the targets where obtained by the COSIMA microscope (Cosiscope, 13.95 μm pixel−1) with near grazing incidence, which is optimal for the primary objective (detection of collected particles) but very challenging for photometry. However, more than 300 of the collected particles are larger than 100 μm which makes it possible to derive constraints on the optical properties from the distribution of light levels within the particles. Two types of particles collected by COSIMA (compact particles and cluster particles) have been identified in Langevin et al. The best estimate reflectance factors of compact particles range from 10 per cent to 23 per cent. For cluster particles (>90 per cent of large collected particles), the comparison of the signal profiles with illumination from two opposite directions shows that there is scattering within the particles, with a mean free path in the 20–25 μm range, which requires high porosity. The best estimate reflectance factors of cluster particles range from 3 per cent to 22 per cent. This range of reflectance factors overlaps with that obtained from observations of the cometary nucleus at macroscopic scales by OSIRIS and it is consistent with that measured for interplanetary dust particles collected in the stratosphere of the Earth
A Distribution of Large Particles in the Coma of Comet 103P/Hartley 2
The coma of comet 103P/Hartley 2 has a significant population of large
particles observed as point sources in images taken by the Deep Impact
spacecraft. We measure their spatial and flux distributions, and attempt to
constrain their composition. The flux distribution of these particles implies a
very steep size distribution with power-law slopes ranging from -6.6 to -4.7.
The radii of the particles extend up to 20 cm, and perhaps up to 2 m, but their
exact sizes depend on their unknown light scattering properties. We consider
two cases: bright icy material, and dark dusty material. The icy case better
describes the particles if water sublimation from the particles causes a
significant rocket force, which we propose as the best method to account for
the observed spatial distribution. Solar radiation is a plausible alternative,
but only if the particles are very low density aggregates. If we treat the
particles as mini-nuclei, we estimate they account for <16-80% of the comet's
total water production rate (within 20.6 km). Dark dusty particles, however,
are not favored based on mass arguments. The water production rate from bright
icy particles is constrained with an upper limit of 0.1 to 0.5% of the total
water production rate of the comet. If indeed icy with a high albedo, these
particles do not appear to account for the comet's large water production rate.
production rate.
Erratum: We have corrected the radii and masses of the large particles of
comet 103P/Hartley 2 and present revised conclusions in the attached erratum.Comment: Original article: 46 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables, published in
Icarus. Erratum: 5 pages, 1 table, accepted for publication in Icaru
Machine-learning nonstationary noise out of gravitational-wave detectors
Signal extraction out of background noise is a common challenge in high-precision physics experiments, where the measurement output is often a continuous data stream. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection, witness sensors are often used to independently measure background noises and subtract them from the main signal. If the noise coupling is linear and stationary, optimal techniques already exist and are routinely implemented in many experiments. However, when the noise coupling is nonstationary, linear techniques often fail or are suboptimal. Inspired by the properties of the background noise in gravitational wave detectors, this work develops a novel algorithm to efficiently characterize and remove nonstationary noise couplings, provided there exist witnesses of the noise source and of the modulation. In this work, the algorithm is described in its most general formulation, and its efficiency is demonstrated with examples from the data of the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave observatory, where we could obtain an improvement of the detector gravitational-wave reach without introducing any bias on the source parameter estimation
Reconstructing the calibrated strain signal in the Advanced LIGO detectors
Advanced LIGO's raw detector output needs to be calibrated to compute
dimensionless strain h(t). Calibrated strain data is produced in the time
domain using both a low-latency, online procedure and a high-latency, offline
procedure. The low-latency h(t) data stream is produced in two stages, the
first of which is performed on the same computers that operate the detector's
feedback control system. This stage, referred to as the front-end calibration,
uses infinite impulse response (IIR) filtering and performs all operations at a
16384 Hz digital sampling rate. Due to several limitations, this procedure
currently introduces certain systematic errors in the calibrated strain data,
motivating the second stage of the low-latency procedure, known as the
low-latency gstlal calibration pipeline. The gstlal calibration pipeline uses
finite impulse response (FIR) filtering to apply corrections to the output of
the front-end calibration. It applies time-dependent correction factors to the
sensing and actuation components of the calibrated strain to reduce systematic
errors. The gstlal calibration pipeline is also used in high latency to
recalibrate the data, which is necessary due mainly to online dropouts in the
calibrated data and identified improvements to the calibration models or
filters.Comment: 20 pages including appendices and bibliography. 11 Figures. 3 Table
Prediction for new magnetoelectric fluorides
We use symmetry considerations in order to predict new magnetoelectric
fluorides. In addition to these magnetoelectric properties, we discuss among
these fluorides the ones susceptible to present multiferroic properties. We
emphasize that several materials present ferromagnetic properties. This
ferromagnetism should enhance the interplay between magnetic and dielectric
properties in these materials.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, To appear in Journal of Physics: Condensed
Matte
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The Stardust – a successful encounter with the remarkable comet Wild 2
On January 2, 2004 the Stardust spacecraft completed a close flyby of comet Wild2 (P81). Flying at a relative speed of 6.1 km/s within 237km of the 5 km nucleus, the spacecraft took 72 close-in images, measured the flux of impacting particles and did TOF mass spectrometry
Impact ionization mass spectra of anorthite cosmic dust analogue particles
Anorthite, the Ca-rich end-member of plagioclase feldspar, is a dominant mineral component of the Lunar highlands. Plagioclase feldspar is also found in comets, meteorites and stony asteroids. It is therefore expected to contribute to the population of interplanetary (and circumplanetary) dust grains within the solar system. After coating micron- and submicron-sized grains of Anorthite with a conductive layer of Platinum, the mineral was successfully accelerated to hypervelocity speeds in the Max Planck Institut für Kernphysik’s Van de Graaff accelerator. We present impact ionization mass spectra
generated following the impacts of anorthite grains with a prototype mass spectrometer (the Large Area Mass Analyser, LAMA) designed for use in space, and discuss the behavior of the spectra with increasing impact energy. Correlation analysis is used to identify the compositions and sources of cations present in the spectra, enabling the identification of several molecular cations (e.g., CaAlO2, CaSiO2, Ca2AlO3/CaAlSi2O2)
which identify anorthite as the progenitor bulk grain material
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