159 research outputs found
Experimental measurement of photothermal effect in Fabry-Perot cavities
We report the experimental observation of the photothermal effect. The
measurements are performed by modulating the laser power absorbed by the
mirrors of two high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavities. The results are very well
described by a recently proposed theoretical model [M. Cerdonio, L. Conti, A.
Heidmann and M. Pinard, Phys. Rev. D 63 (2001) 082003], confirming the
correctness of such calculations. Our observations and quantitative
characterization of the photothermal effect demonstrate its critical importance
for high sensitivity interferometric displacement measurements, as those
necessary for gravitational wave detection.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Wideband dual sphere detector of gravitational waves
We present the concept of a sensitive AND broadband resonant mass
gravitational wave detector. A massive sphere is suspended inside a second
hollow one. Short, high-finesse Fabry-Perot optical cavities read out the
differential displacements of the two spheres as their quadrupole modes are
excited. At cryogenic temperatures one approaches the Standard Quantum Limit
for broadband operation with reasonable choices for the cavity finesses and the
intracavity light power. A molybdenum detector of overall size of 2 m, would
reach spectral strain sensitivities of 2x10^-23/Sqrt{Hz} between 1000 Hz and
3000 Hz.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Changed content. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Optimizing the Earth-LISA "rendez-vous"
We present a general survey of heliocentric LISA orbits, hoping it might help
in the exercise of rescoping the mission. We try to semi-analytically optimize
the orbital parameters in order to minimize the disturbances coming from the
Earth-LISA interaction. In a set of numerical simulations we include
nonautonomous perturbations and provide an estimate of Doppler shift and
breathing as a function of the trailing angle.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures. Submitted on CQ
Modulation of LISA free-fall orbits due to the Earth-Moon system
We calculate the effect of the Earth-Moon (EM) system on the free-fall motion
of LISA test masses. We show that the periodic gravitational pulling of the EM
system induces a resonance with fundamental frequency 1 yr^-1 and a series of
periodic perturbations with frequencies equal to integer harmonics of the
synodic month (9.92 10^-7 Hz). We then evaluate the effects of these
perturbations (up to the 6th harmonics) on the relative motions between each
test masses couple, finding that they range between 3mm and 10pm for the 2nd
and 6th harmonic, respectively. If we take the LISA sensitivity curve, as
extrapolated down to 10^-6 Hz, we obtain that a few harmonics of the EM system
can be detected in the Doppler data collected by the LISA space mission. This
suggests that the EM system gravitational near field could provide an absolute
calibration for the LISA sensitivity at very low frequencies.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Feedback cooling of the normal modes of a massive electromechanical system to submillikelvin temperature
We apply a feedback cooling technique to simultaneously cool the three
electromechanical normal modes of the ton-scale resonant-bar gravitational wave
detector AURIGA. The measuring system is based on a dc Superconducting Quantum
Interference Device (SQUID) amplifier, and the feedback cooling is applied
electronically to the input circuit of the SQUID. Starting from a bath
temperature of 4.2 K, we achieve a minimum temperature of 0.17 mK for the
coolest normal mode. The same technique, implemented in a dedicated experiment
at subkelvin bath temperature and with a quantum limited SQUID, could allow to
approach the quantum ground state of a kilogram-scale mechanical resonator.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Local dark matter searches with LISA
The drag-free satellites of LISA will maintain the test masses in geodesic
motion over many years with residual accelerations at unprecedented small
levels and time delay interferometry (TDI) will keep track of their
differential positions at level of picometers. This may allow investigations of
fine details of the gravitational field in the Solar System previously
inaccessible. In this spirit, we present the concept of a method to measure
directly the gravitational effect of the density of diffuse Local Dark Matter
(LDM) with a constellation of a few drag-free satellites, by exploiting how
peculiarly it would affect their relative motion. Using as test bed an
idealized LISA with rigid arms, we find that the separation in time between the
test masses is uniquely perturbed by the LDM, so that they acquire a
differential breathing mode. Such a LDM signal is related to the LDM density
within the orbits and has characteristic spectral components, with amplitudes
increasing in time, at various frequencies of the dynamics of the
constellation. This is the relevant result, in that the LDM signal is brought
to non-zero frequencies.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor changes to match the version in press on
Classical and Quantum Gravity (special issue for the 7th International LISA
Symposium proceedings
Gravitational-Wave Stochastic Background Detection with Resonant-Mass Detectors
In this paper we discuss how the standard optimal Wiener filter theory can be
applied, within a linear approximation, to the detection of an isotropic
stochastic gravitational-wave background with two or more detectors. We apply
then the method to the AURIGA-NAUTILUS pair of ultra low temperature bar
detectors, near to operate in coincidence in Italy, obtaining an estimate for
the sensitivity to the background spectral density of $\simeq 10^{-49}\
Hz^{-1}\simeq 8\times10^{-5}\times\rho_c\rho_c\simeq1.9 \times 10^{-26}\
kg/m^3\simeq 6
\times10^{-5}\times\rho_c\simeq 2\times10^{-5}\times
\rho_c\simeq 2 \times10^{-6}\rho_c$.Comment: 32 pages, postscript file, also available at
http://axln01.lnl.infn.it/reports/stoch.htm
Effect of Sun and Planet-Bound Dark Matter on Planet and Satellite Dynamics in the Solar System
We apply our recent results on orbital dynamics around a mass-varying central
body to the phenomenon of accretion of Dark Matter-assumed not
self-annihilating-on the Sun and the major bodies of the solar system due to
its motion throughout the Milky Way halo. We inspect its consequences on the
orbits of the planets and their satellites over timescales of the order of the
age of the solar system. It turns out that a solar Dark Matter accretion rate
of \approx 10^-12 yr^-1, inferred from the upper limit \Delta M/M= 0.02-0.05 on
the Sun's Dark Matter content, assumed somehow accumulated during last 4.5 Gyr,
would have displaced the planets faraway by about 10^-2-10^1 au 4.5 Gyr ago.
Another consequence is that the semimajor axis of the Earth's orbit,
approximately equal to the Astronomical Unit, would undergo a secular increase
of 0.02-0.05 m yr^-1, in agreement with the latest observational determinations
of the Astronomical Unit secular increase of 0.07 +/- 0.02 m yr^-1 and 0.05 m
yr^-1. By assuming that the Sun will continue to accrete Dark Matter in the
next billions year at the same rate as in the past, the orbits of its planets
will shrink by about 10^-1-10^1 au (\approx 0.2-0.5 au for the Earth), with
consequences for their fate, especially of the inner planets. On the other
hand, lunar and planetary ephemerides set upper bounds on the secular variation
of the Sun's gravitational parameter GM which are one one order of magnitude
smaller than 10^-12 yr^-1. Dark Matter accretion on planets has, instead, less
relevant consequences for their satellites. Indeed, 4.5 Gyr ago their orbits
would have been just 10^-2-10^1 km wider than now. (Abridged)Comment: LaTex2e, 17 pages, no figures, 7 tables, 61 references. Small problem
with a reference fixed. To appear in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle
Physics (JCAP
Aperture synthesis for gravitational-wave data analysis: Deterministic Sources
Gravitational wave detectors now under construction are sensitive to the
phase of the incident gravitational waves. Correspondingly, the signals from
the different detectors can be combined, in the analysis, to simulate a single
detector of greater amplitude and directional sensitivity: in short, aperture
synthesis. Here we consider the problem of aperture synthesis in the special
case of a search for a source whose waveform is known in detail: \textit{e.g.,}
compact binary inspiral. We derive the likelihood function for joint output of
several detectors as a function of the parameters that describe the signal and
find the optimal matched filter for the detection of the known signal. Our
results allow for the presence of noise that is correlated between the several
detectors. While their derivation is specialized to the case of Gaussian noise
we show that the results obtained are, in fact, appropriate in a well-defined,
information-theoretic sense even when the noise is non-Gaussian in character.
The analysis described here stands in distinction to ``coincidence
analyses'', wherein the data from each of several detectors is studied in
isolation to produce a list of candidate events, which are then compared to
search for coincidences that might indicate common origin in a gravitational
wave signal. We compare these two analyses --- optimal filtering and
coincidence --- in a series of numerical examples, showing that the optimal
filtering analysis always yields a greater detection efficiency for given false
alarm rate, even when the detector noise is strongly non-Gaussian.Comment: 39 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
A method for detecting gravitational waves coincident with gamma ray bursts
The mechanism for gamma ray bursters and the detection of gravitational waves
(GWs) are two outstanding problems facing modern physics. Many models of gamma
ray bursters predict copious GW emission, so the assumption of an association
between GWs and GRBs may be testable with existing bar GW detector data. We
consider Weber bar data streams in the vicinity of known GRB times and present
calculations of the expected signal after co-addition of 1000 GW/GRBs that have
been shifted to a common zero time. Our calculations are based on assumptions
concerning the GW spectrum and the redshift distribution of GW/GRB sources
which are consistent with current GW/GRB models. We discuss further
possibilities of GW detection associated with GRBs in light of future bar
detector improvements and suggest that co-addition of data from several
improved bar detectors may result in detection of GWs (if the GW/GRB assumption
is correct) on a time scale comparable with the LIGO projects.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS. 9 pages, 6 ps figures, MNRAS style. Proof
corrections made, accepted versio
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