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。     

引力波与引力波探测:一个全新的空间信息通道

简述了引力波探测的历史,介绍了对质量谐振探测器、地面激光干涉引力波探测器、空间激光干涉引力波探测器,以及引力波在宇宙微波背景上极化效应的相关探测方案,评述了微波频带的高频引力波探测方案.     

地下引力波探测器

日本物理学家建成了世界上第一个地下引力波探测器.初步检验表明,由于地下的环境噪声减低使得在矿井中的激光干涉仪引力波小型观测站(LISM )能够稳定地工作.探测器安置在超神冈中微子探测器附近地下1km深处.引力波是时空结构中的波动,可由空间中大块物质加速而产生.然而,即使像     

引力波与引力波探测

简要介绍引力波的理论预言与探测现状 ,讨论近年来激光干涉仪引力波探测器的研制工作。     

大质量镜面感知光子力的起伏

要察觉引力波的存在, Virgo (欧洲室女座天文台)和LIGO(美国激光干涉引力波天文台)需要能检测到激光干涉臂的微小改变——小到只有质子直径的万分之一.研究人员已经通过有效降低"技术"噪声(比如来自地震的扰动和电子设备的干扰),实现了如此灵敏的探测.此时探测器的噪声已经接近量子散粒噪声这个无法避免的基本限制.现在,...     

激光干涉引力波探测器——人类的宇宙助听器

爱因斯坦预言引力波100周年之际,人类首次直接探测到引力波信号。文章简单介绍了这次的主角——高新激光干涉引力波天文台(advanced LIGO)的光学与激光部分技术。激光干涉引力波探测器,本质上是一个迈克尔孙干涉仪。原初的迈克尔孙干涉仪也曾在否定以太理论、促使相对论创立的过程中起关键作用。而基于爱因斯坦受激发射理论发展起来的激光技术也在引力波探测中立下汗马功劳。出于协同测量与定位以及扩展引力波探测频段等方面的考虑,除LIGO之外,还有多个地面和空间激光干涉引力波探测器在建或在研。可以预计,当前只是引力波探测技术与引力波天文学发展的开端。     

美国LIGO激光干涉引力波观测站

元月美国LIGO（laser interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory激光干涉引力波观测站）发布了一篇重要研究成果．他们宣布在对去年发生的宇宙珈玛射线爆跟踪观测过程中,未能发现引力波存在的证据．这一结果让很多对这次观测寄予厚望（发现引力波）的科学家感到失望．     

压缩的光线和引力波

一种在高精度光学测量中降低啄声的方法将很快用于引力波的探测，探测引力波的最有希望的途径是观测引力波在探测器中（如激光干涉仪引力波观测站）悬挂着的镜子上的细微的效应．     

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：     

黑洞的合并

最近利用引力观测所的激光干涉仪（Laser Interferometer Gravitational—Wave Observatory，LIGO）和空间天线激光干涉仪（Laser Interferometer Space Antenna LISA）的探测器对两个黑洞在碰撞时辐射的引力波进行了精确的观测与计算．两个黑洞进行碰撞时，在它们的周围会向外发射出巨大的突发性的引力波，这些波非常有利于探测器对它们的搜索．     

Motion of photons in a gravitational wave background

Photon motion in a Michelson interferometer is re-analyzed in terms of both geometrical optics and wave optics.The classical paths of the photons in the background of a gravitational wave are derived from the Fermat principle,which is the same as the null geodesics in general relativity.The deformed Maxwell equations and the wave equations of electric fields in the background of a gravitational wave are presented in a flat-space approximation.Both methods show that even the envelope of the response of an interferometer depends on the frequency of a gravitational wave,but it is almost independent of the frequency of the mirror's vibrations.     

The GEO 600 core optics

The optical layout of the interferometric gravitational wave detector GEO600 is described in detail. Criteria for the choice of the geometry of this power- and signal recycled interferometer are presented, including the beam shape inside the interferometer and the surface figure of the optical components. Light power limits for the present setup are discussed. In addition, the demands for the mode cleaners and their performance are given.     

Physics of interferometric gravitational wave detectors

The Caltech-MIT joint LIGO project is operating three long-baseline interferometers (one of 2 km and two of 4 km) in order to unambiguously measure the infinitesimal displacements of isolated test masses which convey the signature of gravitational waves from astrophysical sources. An interferometric gravitational wave detector like LIGO is a complex, non-linear, coupled, dynamic system. This article summarizes various interesting design characteristics of these detectors and techniques that were implemented in order to reach and maintain its operating condition. Specifically, the following topics are discussed: (i) length sensing and control, (ii) alignment sensing and control and (iii) thermal lensing which changes the performance and operating point of the interferometer as the input power to LIGO is increased.     

Newman-Penrose Formalism and Gravitational Impulsive and Shock Waves

Vacuum spacetimes endowed with two commuting spacelike Killing vector fields are considered. Subject to the hypothesis that there exists a shearfree null geodesic congruence orthogonal to the two-surface generated by the two commuting spacelike Killing vector fields,it is shown that, with a specific choice of null tetrad, the Newman-Penrose equations are reduced to an ordinary differential equation of Riccati type. fiom the consideration of this differential equation, exact solutions of the vacuum Einstein field equations with distribution valued Weyl curvature describing the propagation of gravitational impulsive and shock wave of variable polarization are then constructed.     

Optical design of a high power mode-cleaner for AIGO

Laser beam geometry variations such as beam jitter and frequency fluctuations are a critical source of noise in the output signal of a laser interferometer gravitational wave detector. In order to minimise this noise a resonant vibration isolated optical filter or mode-cleaner is required. For advanced gravitational wave detectors such a mode-cleaner is required to be able to handle transmitted power ∼100 W, and an internal circulating power of 45 kW. This paper addresses the design requirements of such a mode-cleaner. We characterise the mode-cleaner requirements and the effects of high laser power on the optics and its consequence on the suppression of higher order modes.     

The prospects of using gravitational waves for constraining the anisotropy of the Universe

The observation of GW150914 gave a new independent measurement of the luminosity distance of a gravitational wave event. In this paper, we constrain the anisotropy of the Universe by using gravitational wave events.We simulate hundreds of events of binary neutron star merger that may be observed by the Einstein Telescope. Full simulation of the production process of gravitational wave data is employed. We find that 200 binary neutron star merging events with the redshift in (0,1) observed by the Einstein Telescope may constrain the anisotropy with an accuracy comparable to that from the Union2.1 supernovae. This result shows that gravitational waves can be a powerful tool for investigating cosmological anisotropy.     

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.     

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.     

Optical detector topology for third-generation gravitational wave observatories

The third generation of gravitational wave observatories, with the aim of providing 100 times better sensitivity than currently operating interferometers, is expected to establish the evolving field of gravitational wave astronomy. A key element, required to achieve this ambitious sensitivity goal, is the exploration of new interferometer geometries, topologies and configurations. In this article we review the current status of the ongoing design work for third-generation gravitational wave observatories. The main focus is the evaluation of the detector geometry and detector topology. In addition we discuss some promising detector configurations and potential noise reduction schemes.     

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.