Sub-Femto-g Free Fall for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatories: LISA 
Pathfinder Results

Armano, M.; Audley, H.; Auger, G.; Baird, J. T.; Bassan, M.; Binetruy, P.; Born, M.; Bortoluzzi, D.; Brandt, N.; Caleno, M.; Carbone, L.; Cavalleri, A.; Cesarini, A.; Ciani, G.; Congedo, G.; Cruise, A. M.; Danzmann, K.; de Silva, M. Deus; Rosa, R. De; Diaz-Aguiló, M.; Fiore, L. Di; Diepholz, I.; Dixon, G.; Dolesi, R.; Dunbar, N.; Ferraioli, L.; Ferroni, V.; Fichter, W.; Fitzsimons, E. D.; Flatscher, R.; Freschi, M.; Garcia Marin, A. F.; Garcia Marirrodriga, C.; Gerndt, R.; Gesa, L.; Gibert, F.; Giardini, D.; Giusteri, R.; Guzman, F.; Grado, ∥ A.; Grimani, C.; Grynagier, A.; Grzymisch, ¶ J.; Harrison, I.; Heinzel, G.; Hewitson, M.; Hollington, D.; Hoyland, D.; Hueller, M.; Inchauspé, H.; Jennrich, O.; Jetzer, P.; Johann, U.; Johlander, B.; Karnesis, N.; Kaune, B.; Korsakova, N.; Killow, C. J.; Lobo, J. A.; Lloro, I.; Liu, L.; López-Zaragoza, J. P.; Maarschalkerweerd, R.; Mance, D.; Martín, V.; Martin-Polo, L.; Martino, J.; Martin-Porqueras, F.; Madden, S.; Mateos, I.; McNamara, P. W.; Mendes, J.; Mendes, L.; Monsky, A.; Nicolodi, D.; Nofrarias, M.; Paczkowski, S.; Perreur-Lloyd, M.; Petiteau, A.; Pivato, P.; Plagnol, E.; Prat, P.; Ragnit, U.; Raïs, B.; Ramos-Castro, J.; Reiche, J.; Robertson, D. I.; Rozemeijer, H.; Rivas, F.; Russano, G.; Sanjuán, J.; Sarra, P.; Schleicher, A.; Shaul, D.; Slutsky, J.; Sopuerta, C. F.; Stanga, R.; Steier, F.; Sumner, T.; Texier, D.; Thorpe, J. I.; Trenkel, C.; Tröbs, M.; Tu, H. B.; Vetrugno, D.; Vitale, S.; Wand, V.; Wanner, G.; Ward, H.; Warren, C.; Wass, P. J.; Wealthy, D.; Weber, W. J.; Wissel, L.; Wittchen, A.; Zambotti, A.; Zanoni, C.; Ziegler, T.; Zweifel, P.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.231101

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT

Add to Basket

Please note that a newer version of this item is available:
https://pure.mpg.de/pubman/item/item_2346939_5

DetailsSummary

Released

Journal Article

Sub-Femto-g Free Fall for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatories: LISA Pathfinder Results

MPS-Authors

/persons/resource/persons41581

Audley, H.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40430

Born, M.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40437

Danzmann, K.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40450

Garcia Marin, A. F.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons41559

Guzman, F.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40460

Heinzel, G.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40525

Hewitson, M.
Observational Relativity and Cosmology, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Karnesis, N.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Kaune, B.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Korsakova, N.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40480

Monsky, A.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Paczkowski, S.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40486

Reiche, J.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40498

Steier, F.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40503

Tröbs, M.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40506

Wand, V.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

/persons/resource/persons40507

Wanner, G.
Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Wissel, L.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

Wittchen, A.
AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society;

External Resource

No external resources are shared

Fulltext (restricted access)

There are currently no full texts shared for your IP range.

Fulltext (public)

PhysRevLett.116.231101.pdf
(Publisher version), 657KB

Supplementary Material (public)

There is no public supplementary material available

Citation

Armano, M., Audley, H., Auger, G., Baird, J. T., Bassan, M., Binetruy, P., et al. (2016). Sub-Femto-g Free Fall for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatories: LISA Pathfinder Results. Physical Review Letters, 116: 231101. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.231101.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-002B-60FB-1

Abstract

We report the first results of the LISA Pathfinder in-flight experiment. The results demonstrate that two free-falling reference test masses, such as those needed for a space-based gravitational wave observatory like LISA, can be put in free fall with a relative acceleration noise with a square root of the power spectral density of 5.2±0.1 fm s−2/Hz−−−√, or (0.54±0.01)×10−15 g/Hz−−−√, with g the standard gravity, for frequencies between 0.7 and 20 mHz. This value is lower than the LISA Pathfinder requirement by more than a factor 5 and within a factor 1.25 of the requirement for the LISA mission, and is compatible with Brownian noise from viscous damping due to the residual gas surrounding the test masses. Above 60 mHz the acceleration noise is dominated by interferometer displacement readout noise at a level of (34.8±0.3) fm/Hz−−−√, about 2 orders of magnitude better than requirements. At f≤0.5 mHz we observe a low-frequency tail that stays below 12 fm s−2/Hz−−−√ down to 0.1 mHz. This performance would allow for a space-based gravitational wave observatory with a sensitivity close to what was originally foreseen for LISA.