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Gravitational Waves: A New Window To The Universe
Gravitational Waves: A New Window To The Universe
Gravitational Waves: A New Window To The Universe
John S. Jacob
Project Engineer,
Australian International Gravitational Research Center
Gravitational Waves:
A new window to the universe
Acknowledgements
ACIGA: Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy:
David McClelland (ANU), Jesper Munch (U. Adelaide), Tony Lun (Monash).
Gabriella Gonzales for some slides
Prof. David Blair for some slides and inspired leadership of the center
Dr. Ju Li for help with some slides
All members of the UWA Gravity Waves Group
LIGO Scientific Collaboration
International Advisory Committee, High Optical Power Project
The VIRGO Project, The TAMA Project and the GEO Collaboration
Looking Out at the Universe
Gamma Rays
Bursts (BATSE)
Infrared
Microwave
Background
(COBE)
These are all parts of the same
Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Gamma Rays
Bursts (BATSE)
Infrared
Microwave
Background
(COBE)
The Electromagnetic Spectrum?
What’s That?
In 1820, Hans Christian Oersted discovered
that electric currents (moving electric charges)
create magnetic fields.
In 1831, Michael Farraday discovered that
varying magnetic fields create electric currents.
In 1864, James Clerk Maxwell put two and two
together.
• Oscillating electric fields create oscillating
magnetic fields.
• Radio
• Microwave
• Infrared Light
• Visible Light
• Ultraviolet Light
• X-Ray Radiation
• Gamma Ray Radiation
Gravity wave detectors are the ears that will allow us to listen to the sounds of
the universe.
Gravitational wave sources:
University of Western
Australia :NIOBE
Lousiana State
University (USA)
ALLEGRO
Astronomers are not surprised: most strong sources are VERY far away!
Gravitational waves produce larger effects if the detectors are
VERY long. We also want to try different wavelengths!
What do we know
about gravitational waves?
That they exist!…
Nobel Prize
Physics 1993
Hulse & Taylor
There is indirect evidence for
the existence of Gravity Waves.
Nobel Prize
Physics 1993
Hulse & Taylor
However, no one has yet been able
to observe them directly.
Resonant
Mass
Detectors
Gravitational waves:
an international dream
GEO600 (British-German)
Hannover, Germany LIGO (USA)
Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA
How to
What measurable docould
effect it? Gravity
Waves have?
For a
change in distance
due to gravity waves of 1 mm,
the objects only have to be about one
million billion kilometers apart.
Problem: It would take more
than one hundred years just to
make one measurement.
Fabry-Perot
cavities
Laser
beamsplitter
photo detector
Are not both arms of the interferometer
affected equally by gravity waves?
Fabry-Perot
cavities
Laser
beamsplitter
photo detector
Answer: Yes. However, due to the “quadrupole polarization” of
gravity waves, the effects do not happen to both sides at the same
time!
Fabry-Perot
cavities
Laser
beamsplitter
photo detector
Laser Stabilization
Isolator PC PBS
Laser RF
Oscillator To laser Mode cleaner—long optical
interferometer
cavity
PBS
Mixer
Reference
Cavity
Photon Noise Effects:
-
Pre-stabilisation
cavity
10m Mode cleaner
Beam expander
Power recycling
Detection bench
Sapphire
end mirror
Problems:
• Seismic noise is a 1012 times stronger
than gravity waves.
• Ocean waves, people, cars and
kangaroos!
• AIGO site is 1000 times better than
UWA.
Full vibration isolation system
thin fibre
pendulum link
2-d gimbal
simple wire pivot
pivot concentric
with wire
pivot Eddy
magnets
current
damped
copper
rocker
Eddy
current vertical
viscous Euler
coupling springs
to next
stage