空间引力波探测望远镜初步设计与分析

引力波的直接观测已开启引力波天文学的新篇章,爱因斯坦的百年预言终获证实。空间引力波探测器使得探测0.1 m Hz~1 Hz频段丰富的引力波源成为可能,与地面引力波探测器互为补充,才可实现更加宽广波段的引力波探测,揭开宇宙早期的更多秘密。空间激光干涉引力波探测采用外差干涉测量技术,测量间距百万公里的两自由悬浮测试质量间10 pm量级的变化量。望远镜是激光干涉测量系统的重要组成部分,1 pm的光程稳定性及苛刻的杂散光要求,不同于传统的几何成像望远镜。本文根据空间太极计划任务需求,对望远镜的功能及技术要求进行了分析,并完成了原理样机的初步方案设计,针对百万公里远场波前分布,分析了望远镜系统的敏感性,同时完成了在轨光机热集成仿真,为后面原理样机的研制奠定了技术基础。     

论引力波探测器方位与引力波源方位间的关系

本文从计算棒状引力波天线的指向性函数出发,讨论了引力波源的方位和天线棒方位之间的关系,找到了从符合实验数据求出引力波源方位以及利用单一引力波探测器对连续引力波源的定位方法。所得的结果也适用于其他形式的一维引力波天线。一旦引力波探测器的灵敏度达到足以确定引力波强度时,本文的结果无疑对引力波天文学将是很有意义的。 关键词：     

Test of a model coupling of electromagnetic and gravitational fields by using high-frequency gravitational waves

Models of the coupling of electromagnetic and gravitational fields have been studied extensively for many years. In this paper,we consider the coupling between the Maxwell field and the Weyl tensor of the gravitational field to study how the wavevector of the electromagnetic wave is affected by a plane gravitational wave. We find that the wavevector depends upon the frequency and direction of polarization of the electromagnetic waves, the parameter that couples the Maxwell field and the Weyl tensor, and the angle between the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic wave and the coordinate axis. The results show that this coupling model can be tested by the detection of high-frequency gravitational waves.     

Nearly scale invariant spectrum of gravitational radiation from global phase transitions

Using a large N sigma model approximation we explicitly calculate the power spectrum of gravitational waves arising from a global phase transition in the early Universe and we confirm that it is scale invariant, implying an observation of such a spectrum may not be a unique feature of inflation. Moreover, the predicted amplitude can be over 3 orders of magnitude larger than the naive dimensional estimate, implying that even a transition that occurs after inflation may dominate in cosmic microwave background polarization or other gravity wave signals.     

Interaction of a three-mass system with gravitational waves

The interaction of a harmonically bound three-mass system with gravitational waves is analyzed in detail. The system resonantly responds to two polarization states of gravitational waves at a given frequency and transforms the two polarization states into two kinds of vibrations which can be clearly distinguished. The averaged cross section and maximum cross section also are given. As compared with a two-mass system under the same conditions, the three-mass system is at the maximum 1.2 times as large as the averaged cross section of the two-mass system, and its maximum cross section is at the maximum 1.5 times as large as that of the two-mass system.     

Letter: Nonlinear Gravitational-Electromagnetic Bending of the Rays of Weak Electromagnetic Waves in the Fields of Pulsars and Magnetars

The eikonal equation is constructed for a weak electromagnetic wave that propagates by the laws of parameterized post-Maxwellian electrodynamics of vacuum in the magnetic dipole and gravitational fields of pulsars and magnetars. An approximate solution has been found for the equation for the rays, along which two mutually perpendicular normal modes of electromagnetic wave are propagating. The ray bending angles and time delay of the first normal mode relatively the second normal mode of the electromagnetic waves polarization states are determined as resultant from the nonlinear effect of the gravitational and magnetic dipole fields of neutron stars on the rays.     

A satellite cluster as a gravitational-wave detector

The detection of gravitational waves by a cluster of satellites is considered. The detector is an optical interferometer formed of several satellites. The calculations for three spacecraft are given. The complete detector response to the monochromatic gravitational wave generated by a binary star is computed.     

Energy localization in general relativity: A new hypothesis

A new hypothesis for energy localization in general relativity is introduced which is based upon the fact that the energy-momentum conservation laws are devoid of content in vacuum. The vanishing of pseudotensor components forms the basis of coordinate conditions consistent with the above. The implication is that energy is localized where the energy-momentum tensor is nonvanishing. As a consequence, gravitational waves are not carriers of energy in vacuum. A detailed analysis of a Feynman detector interacting with a plane gravitational wave is consistent with the hypothesis. The fact that there has never been a confirmed direct energy transfer to a detector via gravitational radiation is also consistent with the hypothesis.     

Space travel and exploration

In the next few years, we expect to see the beginning of a new branch of astronomy—gravitational wave astronomy. Space detectors, especially, will soon have the sensitivity to see the tiny changes in distance between separated masses that are produced by gravitational waves in Einstein's theory of General Relativity. One such space detector, named OMEGA, has been proposed to NASA as a future medium sized Explorer mission. This detector would be formed from six small miniprobes that are launched into high circular Earth orbit, two miniprobes at each of the vertices of a million-kilometre equilateral triangle. The probes track each other with lasers. By subtracting the measurements of the armlengths, a fine Michelson interferometer can be formed that will detect changes in distance of less than one picometre at time scales around 1000s. At this sensitivity, OMEGA will be able to detect gravitational waves from known galactic binary stars and from possible events involving the massive black holes that are expected to reside in the nuclei of many galaxies.     

Sources and technology for an atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor

We study the use of atom interferometers as detectors for gravitational waves in the mHz–Hz frequency band, which is complementary to planned optical interferometers, such as laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories (LIGOs) and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We describe an optimized atomic gravitational wave interferometric sensor (AGIS), whose sensitivity is proportional to the baseline length to power of 5/2, as opposed to the linear scaling of a more conservative design. Technical challenges are briefly discussed, as is a table-top demonstrator AGIS that is presently under construction at Berkeley. We study a range of potential sources of gravitational waves visible to AGIS, including galactic and extra-galactic binaries. Based on the predicted shot noise limited performance, AGIS should be capable of detecting type Ia supernovae precursors within 500 pc, up to 200 years beforehand. An optimized detector may be capable of detecting waves from RX J0806.3+1527.     

Astrophysics from data analysis of spherical gravitational wave detectors

The direct detection of gravitational waves will provide valuable astrophysical information about many celestial objects. Also, it will be an important test to general relativity and other theories of gravitation. The gravitational wave detector SCHENBERG has recently undergone its first test run. It is expected to have its first scientific run soon. In this work the data analysis system of this spherical, resonant mass detector is tested through the simulation of the detection of gravitational waves generated during the inspiralling phase of a binary system. It is shown from the simulated data that it is not necessary to have all six transducers operational in order to determine the source’s direction and the wave’s amplitudes.     

用零输出的设备探测引力波

理论估计传到地球上的引力波非常弱,激光干涉引力波探测器被设计用来探测引力波,在没有引力波传来时,激光干涉引力波探测器应该是零输出。为达到这样的目的,必须和众多的噪声作斗争。     

The gravitational faraday rotation for cylindrical gravitational solitons

By using cylindrical soliton solutions, the nonlinear behavior of gravitational waves in vacuum is studied in terms of a rotation of the polarization vector between two independent modes. This effect was emphasized by Piran, Safier, and Stark as a gravitational analogue of the Faraday rotation. The polarization of the soliton wave is calculated, and it is found that the+mode which was dominant near the axis of symmetry is fully converted to the×mode at some interaction region and then the disturbance propagating along a light cone like a gravitational wave pulse contains both polarizations.     

Gravitational wave production at the end of inflation

We consider gravitational wave production due to parametric resonance at the end of inflation, or "preheating." This leads to large inhomogeneities that source a stochastic background of gravitational waves at scales inside the comoving Hubble horizon at the end of inflation. We confirm that the present amplitude of these gravitational waves need not depend on the inflationary energy scale. We analyze an explicit model where the inflationary energy scale is approximately 10{9} GeV, yielding a signal close to the sensitivity of Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory and Big Bang Observer. This signal highlights the possibility of a new observational "window" into inflationary physics and provides significant motivation for searches for stochastic backgrounds of gravitational waves in the Hz to GHz range, with an amplitude on the order of Omega_{gw}(k)h{2} approximately 10{-11}.     

Role of the initial conditions in the occurrence of singularity at collision of plane gravitational waves with collinear polarization

Collision of plane gravitational waves with collinear polarization is considered. It is demonstrated that if the gravitational wave profiles characterized by the Weyl scalars are continuous functions with possible jump on fronts, the occurrence of a curvature singularity in the region of wave interaction is inevitable. Possible modifications of the initial conditions that eliminate the curvature singularity at collision are discussed.     

Thomson scattering induced by gravitational waves

We investigate the effects of a weak gravitational wave, modelled as a gaussian wavepacket, on the polarization state of an electromagnetic field enclosed in a cavity. Our approach is semiclassical, in that the electromagnetic field is described as a quantum field, while the gravitational perturbation is treated classically, as a slightly curved background spacetime. Assuming that before the interaction the electromagnetic field has been prepared in a given polarization state, we show that – due to the gravitational scattering with the wave – some photons having different polarization states are found in the cavity at late times. Such polarization scattering has some resemblance with Thomson scattering, well-known in Quantum Electrodynamics: hence the motivation for the title. We give a numerical estimate of the resulting photon polarization spreading in the case of a typical gravitational burst from a final supernova rebound. We also briefly comment about the possible influence of such gravitational scattering on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization.     

Extraction of Self-Diffraction Wave in Photorefractive Bi12SiO20 Crystals

When two waves are coupled in Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals, the polarization states of the signal wave are affected by the self-diffraction. We have theoretically studied the influence of the self-diffraction on the polarization of the signal wave. The change of polarization states are strongly affected by the self-diffraction effect when the external field is applied. We present a new method that converts the change of polarization into an intensity signal.     

Gravitational wave astrophysics,data analysis and multimessenger astronomy

This paper reviews gravitational wave sources and their detection. One of the most exciting potential sources of gravitational waves are coalescing binary black hole systems. They can occur on all mass scales and be formed in numerous ways, many of which are not understood. They are generally invisible in electromagnetic waves, and they provide opportunities for deep investigation of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Sect. 1 of this paper considers ways that binary black holes can be created in the universe, and includes the prediction that binary black hole coalescence events are likely to be the first gravitational wave sources to be detected. The next parts of this paper address the detection of chirp waveforms from coalescence events in noisy data.Such analysis is computationally intensive. Sect. 2 reviews a new and powerful method of signal detection based on the GPUimplemented summed parallel infinite impulse response filters. Such filters are intrinsically real time alorithms, that can be used to rapidly detect and localise signals. Sect. 3 of the paper reviews the use of GPU processors for rapid searching for gravitational wave bursts that can arise from black hole births and coalescences. In sect. 4 the use of GPU processors to enable fast efficient statistical significance testing of gravitational wave event candidates is reviewed. Sect. 5 of this paper addresses the method of multimessenger astronomy where the discovery of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events can be used to identify sources, understand their nature and obtain much greater science outcomes from each identified event.