We describe a torsion pendulum with a large mass-quadrupole moment and a resonant frequency of 2.8 mHz, whose angle is measured using a modified Michelson interferometer. The system achieved noise levels of $sim200 text{prad}/sqrt{text{Hz}}$ between 0.2-30 Hz and $sim10 text{prad}/sqrt{text{Hz}}$ above 100 Hz. Such a system can be applied to a broad range of fields from the study of rotational seismic motion and elastogravity signals to gravitational wave observation and tests of gravity.
Ground vibrations couple to the longitudinal and angular motion of the aLIGO test masses and limit the observatory sensitivity below 30,Hz. Novel inertial sensors have the potential to improve the aLIGO sensitivity in this band and simplify the lock acquisition of the detectors. In this paper, we experimentally study a compact 6D seismometer that consists of a mass suspended by a single wire. The position of the mass is interferometrically read out relative to the platform that supports the seismometer. We present the experimental results, discuss limitations of our metallic prototype, and show that a compact 6D seismometer made out of fused silica and suspended with a fused silica fibre has the potential to improve the aLIGO low frequency noise.
Expanding the observational frequency of gravitational waves is important for the future of astronomy. Torsion-Bar Antenna (TOBA) is a mid-frequency and low-frequency gravitational wave detector using a torsion pendulum. The low resonant frequency of the rotational mode of the torsion pendulum enables ground-based observations. The overview of TOBA, including the past and present status of the prototype development is summarized in this paper.
We present an analysis of the motion of a simple torsion pendulum and we describe how, with straightforward extensions to the usual basic dynamical model, we succeed in explaining some unexpected features we found in our data, like the modulation of the torsion mode at a higher frequency and the frequency splitting of the swinging motion. Comparison with observed values yields estimates for the misalignment angles and other parameters of the model.
The search for a novel technology able to detect and reconstruct nuclear recoil events in the keV energy range has become more and more important as long as vast regions of high mass WIMP-like Dark Matter candidate have been excluded. Gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPC) with optical readout are very promising candidate combining the complete event information provided by the TPC technique to the high sensitivity and granularity of last generation scientific light sensors. A TPC with an amplification at the anode obtained with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) was tested at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati. Photons and neutrons from radioactive sources were employed to induce recoiling nuclei and electrons with kinetic energy in the range [1-100] keV. A He-CF4 (60/40) gas mixture was used at atmospheric pressure and the light produced during the multiplication in the GEM channels was acquired by a high position resolution and low noise scientific CMOS camera and a photomultiplier. A multi-stage pattern recognition algorithm based on an advanced clustering technique is presented here. A number of cluster shape observables are used to identify nuclear recoils induced by neutrons originated from a AmBe source against X-ray 55Fe photo-electrons. An efficiency of 18% to detect nuclear recoils with an energy of about 6 keV is reached obtaining at the same time a 96% 55Fe photo-electrons suppression. This makes this optically readout gas TPC a very promising candidate for future investigations of ultra-rare events as directional direct Dark Matter searches.
Low mass suspension systems with high-Q pendulum stages are used to enable quantum radiation pressure noise limited experiments. Utilising multiple pendulum stages with vertical blade springs and materials with high quality factors provides attenuation of seismic and thermal noise, however damping of these high-Q pendulum systems in multiple degrees of freedom is essential for practical implementation. Viscous damping such as eddy-current damping can be employed but introduces displacement noise from force noise due to thermal fluctuations in the damping system. In this paper we demonstrate a passive damping system with adjustable damping strength as a solution for this problem that can be used for low mass suspension systems without adding additional displacement noise in science mode. We show a reduction of the damping factor by a factor of 8 on a test suspension and provide a general optimisation for this system.