Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2017
Volume 62, Number 1
Saturday–Tuesday, January 28–31, 2017; Washington, DC
Session B6: Gravitational-wave Detection in Space: From LISA Pathfinder to LISA |
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Sponsoring Units: DGRAV Chair: Shane Larson, Northwestern University / Adler Planetarium Room: Virginia C |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 10:45AM - 10:57AM |
B6.00001: Initial Results from ST7-Disturbance Reduction System on LISA Pathfinder Charles Dunn, Phillip Barela, Curt Cutler, Richard Denzin, Garth Franklin, Jacb Gorelik, Oscar Hsu, Shahram Javidnia, Irena Li, Peiman Maghami, Colleen Marrese-Reading, Jitendra Mehta, James O'Donnell, Andrew Romero-Wolf, Jacob Slutsky, Ira Thorpe, S. Harper Umfress, John Ziemer The European Space Agency LISA Pathfinder spacecraft was launched on December, 2, 2015 carrying the NASA contribution ST7-Disturbance Reduction System (ST7-DRS). The objective of ST7-DRS is to demonstrate drag-free control and noise reduction technologies for future missions, especially a future space-based gravitational wave observatory. The system consists of a pair of Colloid Micro-Newton Thruster clusters and a computer with control algorithms. Data from the host platform is used for inertial and attitude sensing. ST7-DRS was initially powered on in January 2016 for an on-orbit check out and was fully commissioned in late June and early July. This presentation will report results relative to the 0.1 micro-Newton/ rt Hertz thrust noise requirement and the 10 nanometer/rt Hertz position control requirement. Preliminary extended mission results will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 10:57AM - 11:09AM |
B6.00002: LISA Pathfinder as a drag-free accelerometer powered thrust stand Jacob Slutsky The LISA Pathfinder (LPF) mission, launched to demonstrate technology for a future gravitational wave observatory in space, began in March 2016. ESA led, LPF is comprised of both European and NASA payloads, the LISA Technology Package (LTP) and Disturbance Reduction System (DRS), respectively. The LTP includes the two highest precision drag free accelerometers ever flown, as well as a high precision interferometer. DRS provides the Colloid Micro-Newton Thruster (CMNT) system, required to precisely maneuver the spacecraft. Additionally, DRS includes a complete Dynamic Control System (DCS) that maintains the drag free flight. While the LTP mission uses the residual of the differential acceleration between the accelerometers, each individual sensor provides an unparalleled measure of the full six-dimensional spacecraft motion. This talk will discuss the DRS experiments performed, and how this sensor data is analyzed to characterize the noise and performance of the CMNTs. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:09AM - 11:21AM |
B6.00003: Detection of Micrometeoroids with LISA Pathfinder Ira Thorpe, Tyson Littenberg, Diego Janchez, John Baker The LISA Pathfinder mission (LPF), a joint ESA/NASA technology demonstration mission currently operating at the Sun-Earth L1 point, contains the most precise accelerometry system ever flown. Analysis suggests that LPF should have sufficient sensitivity to detect impacts of small micrometeoroids and dust through their transfer of momentum to the spacecraft. Moreover, LPF's ability to fully resolve both the linear and angular momentum transfer in three dimensions allows a magnitude, direction, and location to be estimated for each impact. We present preliminary results from a systematic search of the LISA Pathfinder data for such impacts and discuss the prospects for using these and future results to inform models of the formation and evolution of dust populations in the inner solar system. These models have wide applicability to both pure and applied space science, ranging from the physics of planet formation and dynamics of minor Solar System bodies to estimates of the micrometeorite hazard for future spacecraft. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:21AM - 11:33AM |
B6.00004: Development of a Multi-axis Heterodyne Interferometry system for LISA Paul Fulda, James Thorpe Precision laser interferometric readout of test mass position and angle is one of the key technologies enabling a space-based gravitational wave mission such as LISA. At Goddard Space Flight Center we are developing a test-bed to demonstrate a Multi-Axis Heterodyne Interferometry (MAHI) system capable of meeting the measurement, range of motion and noise requirements for the short-arm measurement (test-mass to spacecraft) of LISA. Crucially, this system will use an optical design, photoreceivers and phase measurement systems which are also suitable for the long-arm measurement (spacecraft to spacecraft), thus reducing mission complexity. We will report on the progress of the MAHI system development, including preliminary measurements from a table-top prototype MAHI system. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:33AM - 11:45AM |
B6.00005: Working Towards the LISA Optical Benches at UF Andrew Chilton, Daniel Hillsberry, Giacomo Ciani, John Conklin, Guido Mueller The first space-based gravitational wave observatory will likely be a six-link LISA-like observatory with three million km scale arms. LISA aims at detecting gravitational waves from super-massive black hole mergers, compact galactic binaries, and many other exciting sources which emit gravitational waves in the 10µHz to 1Hz frequency band. LISA will use laser interferometry to measure changes in the distance between free floating test masses at the pm/√Hz level. At the core of the interferometry are the optical benches (two on each spacecraft) which receive, manipulate and redirect the different laser beams. The optical bench has been identified as a critical item in the design, manufacturing, and testing phases of this mission. Our group studies different components of the optical bench with the goal to simplify the design and manufacturing process of the optical bench. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:45AM - 11:57AM |
B6.00006: Telescopes for a Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory Shannon Sankar, Jeffrey Livas Telescopes are an important part of the science measurement for a space-based gravitational wave observatory. The telescopes should not introduce excess phase noise which might lower the signal-to-noise of the gravitational wave signal. This requirement constrains both the telescope stability and the phase noise due to scattered light. The photoreceiver senses a combination of a local beam, the received beam and scattered light. If the scattered light has significant spatial overlap, and if there is displacement noise in the scatter path, the signal-to-noise of the main measurement can be impacted. We will discuss our approach to addressing this concern. We model the scattered power from the telescope under expected conditions and use these models for evaluating potential telescope designs. We also determine allowable mirror surface roughness and contamination levels from the scattered light models. We implement the best designs by fabricating a series of prototype telescopes of increasing flight readiness, using eLISA as a reference mission for design specifications. Finally, we perform laboratory tests of the fabricated prototype telescope to validate the models and inform our understanding of the eventual flight telescopes. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, January 28, 2017 11:57AM - 12:09PM |
B6.00007: High Stability Low Scatter Telescope for a Space-based Gravitational Wave Observatory Jeffrey Livas, Shannon Sankar A laser interferometer space-based gravitational wave observatory requires an optical telescope to efficiently transfer laser light between pairs of widely-separated sciencecraft. The application is precision interferometric metrology, and therefore requires the telescope to have high optical pathlength stability, and low scattered light performance. We discuss the expected on-orbit environment and present the latest design, including materials choice trades, surface roughness and cleanliness requirements, and an optical prescription optimized to reduce scattered light. We will also discuss some of the remaining system-level trades. [Preview Abstract] |
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