Charge-Induced Force Noise on Free-Falling Test Masses: Results from LISA Pathfinder

authored by

LISA Pathfinder Collaboration , M. Armano, H. Audley, G. Auger, J. T. Baird, P. Binetruy, M. Born, D. Bortoluzzi, N. Brandt, A. Bursi, M. Caleno, A. Cavalleri, A. Cesarini, M. Cruise, K. Danzmann, M. De Deus Silva, I. Diepholz, R. Dolesi, N. Dunbar, L. Ferraioli, V. Ferroni, E. D. Fitzsimons, R. Flatscher, M. Freschi, J. Gallegos, C. García Marirrodriga, R. Gerndt, L. Gesa, F. Gibert, D. Giardini, R. Giusteri, C. Grimani, J. Grzymisch, I. Harrison, G. Heinzel, M. Hewitson, D. Hollington, M. Hueller, J. Huesler, H. Inchauspé, O. Jennrich, P. Jetzer, B. Johlander, N. Karnesis, B. Kaune, C. J. Killow, N. Korsakova, I. Lloro, L. Liu, J. P. López-zaragoza, R. Maarschalkerweerd, S. Paczkowski, Gudrun Wanner, A. Wittchen, Philipp Zweifel, Jens Reiche

Abstract

We report on electrostatic measurements made on board the European Space Agency mission LISA Pathfinder. Detailed measurements of the charge-induced electrostatic forces exerted on free-falling test masses (TMs) inside the capacitive gravitational reference sensor are the first made in a relevant environment for a space-based gravitational wave detector. Employing a combination of charge control and electric-field compensation, we show that the level of charge-induced acceleration noise on a single TM can be maintained at a level close to 1.0 fm s-2 Hz-1/2 across the 0.1-100 mHz frequency band that is crucial to an observatory such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Using dedicated measurements that detect these effects in the differential acceleration between the two test masses, we resolve the stochastic nature of the TM charge buildup due to interplanetary cosmic rays and the TM charge-to-force coupling through stray electric fields in the sensor. All our measurements are in good agreement with predictions based on a relatively simple electrostatic model of the LISA Pathfinder instrument.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Gravitation Physics
Quest: Centre for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research

External Organisation(s)

Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
ETH Zurich

Type

Article

Journal

Physical review letters

Volume

118

No. of pages

7

ISSN

0031-9007

Publication date

26.04.2017

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

Electronic version(s)

https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.04633 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.171101 (Access: Closed)