No Arabic abstract
All first-generation large-scale gravitational wave detectors are operated at the dark fringe and use a heterodyne readout employing radio frequency (RF) modulation-demodulation techniques. However, the experience in the currently running interferometers reveals several problems connected with a heterodyne readout, of which phase noise of the RF modulation is the most serious one. A homodyne detection scheme (DC-readout), using the highly stabilized and filtered carrier light as local oscillator for the readout, is considered to be a favourable alternative. Recently a DC-readout scheme was implemented on the GEO 600 detector. We describe the results of first measurements and give a comparison of the performance achieved with homodyne and heterodyne readout. The implications of the combined use of DC-readout and signal-recycling are considered.
We discuss the detection of gravitational-wave backgrounds in the context of Bayesian inference and suggest a practical definition of what it means for a signal to be considered stochastic---namely, that the Bayesian evidence favors a stochastic signal model over a deterministic signal model. A signal can further be classified as Gaussian-stochastic if a Gaussian signal model is favored. In our analysis we use Bayesian model selection to choose between several signal and noise models for simulated data consisting of uncorrelated Gaussian detector noise plus a superposition of sinusoidal signals from an astrophysical population of gravitational-wave sources. For simplicity, we consider co-located and co-aligned detectors with white detector noise, but the method can be extended to more realistic detector configurations and power spectra. The general trend we observe is that a deterministic model is favored for small source numbers, a non-Gaussian stochastic model is preferred for intermediate source numbers, and a Gaussian stochastic model is preferred for large source numbers. However, there is very large variation between individual signal realizations, leading to fuzzy boundaries between the three regimes. We find that a hybrid, trans-dimensional model comprised of a deterministic signal model for individual bright sources and a Gaussian-stochastic signal model for the remaining confusion background outperforms all other models in most instances.
A gravitational resonant bar detector with a large scale Fabry-Perot cavity as an optical read out and a mechanical displacement transformer is considered. We calculate, in a fully analytical way, the final receiver bandwidth in which the potential sensitivity, limited only by the bar thermal noise, is maintained despite the additional thermal noise of the transformer and the additive noise of the optical readout. We discuss also an application to the OGRAN project, where the bar is instrumented with a 2m long FP cavity.
We study a cross-shaped cavity filled with superfluid $^4$He as a prototype resonant-mass gravitational wave detector. Using a membrane and a re-entrant microwave cavity as a sensitive optomechanical transducer, we were able to observe the thermally excited high-$Q$ acoustic modes of the helium at 20 mK temperature and achieved a strain sensitivity of $8 times 10^{-19}$ Hz$^{-1/2}$ to gravitational waves. To facilitate the broadband detection of continuous gravitational waves, we tune the kilohertz-scale mechanical resonance frequencies up to 173 Hz/bar by pressurizing the helium. With reasonable improvements, this architecture will enable the search for GWs in the 1-30 kHz range, relevant for a number of astrophysical sources both within and beyond the Standard Model.
The gravitational wave (GW) has opened a new window to the universe beyond the electromagnetic spectrum. Since 2015, dozens of GW events have been caught by the ground-based GW detectors through laser interferometry. However, all the ground-based detectors are L-shaped Michelson interferometers, with very limited directional response to GW. Here we propose a three-dimensional (3-D) laser interferometer detector in the shape of a regular triangular pyramid, which has more spherically symmetric antenna pattern. Moreover, the new configuration corresponds to much stronger constraints on parameters of GW sources, and is capable of constructing null-streams to get rid of the signal-like noise events. A 3-D detector of kilometer scale of such kind would shed new light on the joint search of GW and electromagnetic emission.
Construction of the Japanese second-generation gravitational-wave detector KAGRA has been started. In the next 6 sim 7 years, we will be able to observe the space-time ripple from faraway galaxies. KAGRA is equipped with the latest advanced technologies. The entire 3-km long detector is located in the underground to be isolated from the seismic motion, the core optics are cooled down to 20 K to reduce thermal fluctuations, and quantum non-demolition techniques are used to decrease quantum noise. In this paper, we introduce the detector configuration of KAGRA; its design, strategy, and downselection of parameters.