We report on the performance of the capacitive gap-sensing system of the Gravitational Reference Sensor on board the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. From in-flight measurements, the system has demonstrated a performance, down to 1 mHz, that is ranging between 0.7 and 1.8 aF Hz-1/2. That translates into a sensing noise of the test mass motion within 1.2 and 2.4 nm Hz-1/2 in displacement and within 83 and 170 nrad Hz-1/2 in rotation. This matches the performance goals for LISA Pathfinder, and it allows the successful implementation of the gravitational waves observatory LISA. A 1/f tail has been observed for frequencies below 1 mHz, the tail has been investigated in detail with dedicated in-flight measurements, and a model is presented in the paper. A projection of such noise to frequencies below 0.1 mHz shows that an improvement of performance at those frequencies is desirable for the next generation of gravitational reference sensors for space-borne gravitational waves observation.

Capacitive sensing of test mass motion with nanometer precision over millimeter-wide sensing gaps for space-borne gravitational reference sensors / Armano, M.; Audley, H.; Auger, G.; Baird, J.; Bassan, M.; Binetruy, P.; Born, M.; Bortoluzzi, D.; Brandt, N.; Caleno, M.; Cavalleri, A.; Cesarini, A.; Cruise, A. M.; Danzmann, K.; De Deus Silva, M.; De Rosa, R.; Di Fiore, L.; Diepholz, I.; Dixon, G.; Dolesi, R.; Dunbar, N.; Ferraioli, L.; Ferroni, V.; Fitzsimons, E. D.; Flatscher, R.; Freschi, M.; Garcia Marirrodriga, C.; Gerndt, R.; Gesa, L.; Gibert, F.; Giardini, D.; Giusteri, R.; Grado, A.; Grimani, C.; Grzymisch, J.; Harrison, I.; Heinzel, G.; Hewitson, M.; Hollington, D.; Hoyland, D.; Hueller, M.; Inchauspe, H.; Jennrich, O.; Jetzer, P.; Johlander, B.; Karnesis, N.; Kaune, B.; Korsakova, N.; Killow, C. J.; Lobo, J. A.; Lloro, I.; Liu, L.; Lopez-Zaragoza, J. P.; Maarschalkerweerd, R.; Mance, D.; Martin, V.; Martin-Polo, L.; Martino, J.; Martin-Porqueras, F.; Madden, S.; Mateos, I.; Mcnamara, P. W.; Mendes, J.; Mendes, L.; Meshksar, N.; Nofrarias, M.; Paczkowski, S.; Perreur-Lloyd, M.; Petiteau, A.; Pivato, P.; Plagnol, E.; Prat, P.; Ragnit, U.; Ramos-Castro, J.; Reiche, J.; Robertson, D. I.; Rozemeijer, H.; Rivas, F.; Russano, G.; Sarra, P.; Schleicher, A.; Slutsky, J.; Sopuerta, C. F.; Stanga, R.; Sumner, T. J.; Texier, D.; Thorpe, J. I.; Trenkel, C.; Trobs, M.; Vetrugno, D.; Vitale, S.; Wanner, G.; Ward, H.; Wass, P. J.; Wealthy, D.; Weber, W. J.; Wissel, L.; Wittchen, A.; Zambotti, A.; Zanoni, C.; Ziegler, T.; Zweifel, P.. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW D. - ISSN 2470-0010. - 96:6(2017). [10.1103/PhysRevD.96.062004]

Capacitive sensing of test mass motion with nanometer precision over millimeter-wide sensing gaps for space-borne gravitational reference sensors

De Rosa R.;
2017

Abstract

We report on the performance of the capacitive gap-sensing system of the Gravitational Reference Sensor on board the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. From in-flight measurements, the system has demonstrated a performance, down to 1 mHz, that is ranging between 0.7 and 1.8 aF Hz-1/2. That translates into a sensing noise of the test mass motion within 1.2 and 2.4 nm Hz-1/2 in displacement and within 83 and 170 nrad Hz-1/2 in rotation. This matches the performance goals for LISA Pathfinder, and it allows the successful implementation of the gravitational waves observatory LISA. A 1/f tail has been observed for frequencies below 1 mHz, the tail has been investigated in detail with dedicated in-flight measurements, and a model is presented in the paper. A projection of such noise to frequencies below 0.1 mHz shows that an improvement of performance at those frequencies is desirable for the next generation of gravitational reference sensors for space-borne gravitational waves observation.
2017
Capacitive sensing of test mass motion with nanometer precision over millimeter-wide sensing gaps for space-borne gravitational reference sensors / Armano, M.; Audley, H.; Auger, G.; Baird, J.; Bassan, M.; Binetruy, P.; Born, M.; Bortoluzzi, D.; Brandt, N.; Caleno, M.; Cavalleri, A.; Cesarini, A.; Cruise, A. M.; Danzmann, K.; De Deus Silva, M.; De Rosa, R.; Di Fiore, L.; Diepholz, I.; Dixon, G.; Dolesi, R.; Dunbar, N.; Ferraioli, L.; Ferroni, V.; Fitzsimons, E. D.; Flatscher, R.; Freschi, M.; Garcia Marirrodriga, C.; Gerndt, R.; Gesa, L.; Gibert, F.; Giardini, D.; Giusteri, R.; Grado, A.; Grimani, C.; Grzymisch, J.; Harrison, I.; Heinzel, G.; Hewitson, M.; Hollington, D.; Hoyland, D.; Hueller, M.; Inchauspe, H.; Jennrich, O.; Jetzer, P.; Johlander, B.; Karnesis, N.; Kaune, B.; Korsakova, N.; Killow, C. J.; Lobo, J. A.; Lloro, I.; Liu, L.; Lopez-Zaragoza, J. P.; Maarschalkerweerd, R.; Mance, D.; Martin, V.; Martin-Polo, L.; Martino, J.; Martin-Porqueras, F.; Madden, S.; Mateos, I.; Mcnamara, P. W.; Mendes, J.; Mendes, L.; Meshksar, N.; Nofrarias, M.; Paczkowski, S.; Perreur-Lloyd, M.; Petiteau, A.; Pivato, P.; Plagnol, E.; Prat, P.; Ragnit, U.; Ramos-Castro, J.; Reiche, J.; Robertson, D. I.; Rozemeijer, H.; Rivas, F.; Russano, G.; Sarra, P.; Schleicher, A.; Slutsky, J.; Sopuerta, C. F.; Stanga, R.; Sumner, T. J.; Texier, D.; Thorpe, J. I.; Trenkel, C.; Trobs, M.; Vetrugno, D.; Vitale, S.; Wanner, G.; Ward, H.; Wass, P. J.; Wealthy, D.; Weber, W. J.; Wissel, L.; Wittchen, A.; Zambotti, A.; Zanoni, C.; Ziegler, T.; Zweifel, P.. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW D. - ISSN 2470-0010. - 96:6(2017). [10.1103/PhysRevD.96.062004]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/836713
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