Beyond the required LISA free-fall performance: new LISA pathfinder results down to 20 μHz
File(s)PhysRevLett.120.061101.pdf (524.16 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In the months since the publication of the first results, the noise performance of LISA Pathfinder has improved because of reduced Brownian noise due to the continued decrease in pressure around the test masses, from a better correction of noninertial effects, and from a better calibration of the electrostatic force actuation. In addition, the availability of numerous long noise measurement runs, during which no perturbation is purposely applied to the test masses, has allowed the measurement of noise with good statistics down to 20 μHz. The Letter presents the measured differential acceleration noise figure, which is at (1.74±0.05) fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz] above 2 mHz and (6±1)×10 fm s^{-2}/sqrt[Hz] at 20 μHz, and discusses the physical sources for the measured noise. This performance provides an experimental benchmark demonstrating the ability to realize the low-frequency science potential of the LISA mission, recently selected by the European Space Agency.
Date Issued
2018-02-09
Date Acceptance
2018-01-12
Citation
Physical Review Letters, 2018, 120 (6)
ISSN
0031-9007
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review Letters
Volume
120
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Further
distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article
’
s title, journal citation, and DOI.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Further
distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article
’
s title, journal citation, and DOI.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29481269
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics
General Physics
01 Mathematical Sciences
02 Physical Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
OA Location
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.061101
Article Number
ARTN 061101
Date Publish Online
2018-02-05