速度计:一种新型的引力波探测器

近些年来,随着引力波不断地被LIGO探测到,引力波探测已经成为比较热门的课题之一。而想要研制一个好的引力波探测器,就必须解决噪声问题。引力波探测器的噪声主要来源于振动噪声、量子噪声和热噪声等,速度计的提出正是为了降低量子噪声。根据量子测量的原理,速度计能够突破标准量子极限,通过来回反射有效地削减光子辐射压力带来的噪声。这在低频段尤为明显。另外可以证明,拥有法布里-珀罗谐振腔的速度计干涉仪与迈克耳孙干涉仪具有非常相似的性能,例如同样的循环光功率。首先介绍了速度计的工作原理,然后介绍了三种类型的速度计及其性能,最后展望了其广阔的发展前景。     

KAGRA引力波探测器中蓝宝石测试镜光学性质研究

低温制冷技术是下一代激光干涉仪引力波探测器的核心技术之一. 日本引力波探测器KAGRA (Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector)作为该技术的前沿开拓者, 将运行在20K的超低温环境中, 并使用在低温下热噪声较低的单晶蓝宝石晶体作为测试镜. 然而, 高质量大尺寸低吸收率的蓝宝石晶体极难制备. 此外, 由于蓝宝石晶体存在晶格结构不均匀, 很容易导致不必要的双折射效应, 从而影响探测器的目标灵敏度. 基于上述问题, 开发了两套大尺寸光学测量系统, 首次系统研究了KAGRA低温蓝宝石测试镜的光学特性. 首先, 根据探测器对测试镜热噪声的要求, 开发了一套基于光热共光路干涉技术的光学测量系统, 该系统可对测试镜以及测试镜表面涂层的光学吸收进行有效的表征. 其次, 基于光学吸收测量系统, 开发了一套双折射效应测量系统, 该系统可以有效表征测试镜中双折射的均匀性. 目前两套测量系统的搭建与调试已完成, 对蓝宝石测试镜光学吸收的测量灵敏度达到了1.5ppm/cm, 双折射测量系统的空间分辨率小于0.3mm times 0.3mm. 该工作对降低大尺寸低温测试镜双折射效应及提高探测器灵敏度具有重要意义.     

双黑洞系统的不同起源及其参数分布

双黑洞组成的近密双星系统并合是激光干涉仪引力波天文台等地基引力波探测器的主要探测对象。随着探测器灵敏度的提高,大量该类信号的探测将成为进一步研究黑洞物理的有效工具。但是目前对双黑洞系统的起源机制和内禀参数分布等物理问题的研究还不够深入,例如由引力波探测得到的黑洞质量分布与X射线双星观测的结果存在较大差异,还未有很好的理论模型可解释该结果。目前普遍认为双黑洞系统主要有两种起源:大质量双星演化机制和动力学起源机制。基于这两类起源的双黑洞系统在质量、自旋分布等方面存在差异。因此可在贝叶斯理论框架下,利用引力波信号携带的波源质量和自旋等信息,推断波源起源,计算不同起源的双黑洞系统所占比例,以及检验质量自旋等参数分布的差异。     

激光干涉仪引力波探测器

引力波的存在是爱因斯坦在广义相对论中提出的一个重要预言,引力波探测是当代物理学最重要的前沿领域之一。经过近半个世纪的艰苦努力,随着几个大型激光干涉仪引力波探测器在21世纪初的出现并于近几年达到前所未有的灵敏度,引力波探测进入了一个崭新的时代。人类有望在第二代地基激光干涉仪引力波探测器开始科学运行(约2015年)之后的几年内,不仅可以直接探测到引力波,更将打开一扇观测宇宙的新窗口。引力波探测也将成为继电磁辐射、宇宙线和中微子之后,人类探索宇宙奥秘的又一重要手段。介绍了激光干涉仪引力波探测器的性能和工作原理,详细分析了其关键部件,如:迈克尔孙干涉仪、法布里–珀罗腔、功率循环系统、激光器、清模器、倒摆、单体几何反弹簧过滤器、真空系统等的结构、性能和工艺特点,展望了其广阔的发展前景。     

世界引力波探测网的现状

引力波是广义相对论的重要推论之一,迄今为止尚未被直接探测到。上世纪末共振棒引力波探测网曾联合运行.历经十余年的努力,世界激光干涉引力波探测网已经初步形成。今后一、两年将会同步运行。最新的关于中子双星的天文观测和分析给引力波探测带来了希望。     

空间激光干涉引力波探测与早期宇宙结构形成

空间引力波探测是研究宇宙早期恒星演化和星系形成、黑洞和星系的共同成长等天文学和宇宙学重大问题的一条重要可能途径。经过两期科学院先导科技专项空间科学预研究课题的开展,通过权衡技术的可行性与科学的前瞻性,选择以高红移开始的中至大质量双黑洞并合系统、星团等稠密动力学环境中涉及中等质量黑洞的双黑洞引力波波源为主要科学目标,给出了我国毫赫兹至赫兹频段空间引力波探测任务计划的初步设计。以该任务设计建议为依据,简要介绍空间引力波探测及其作为一种新的天文观测手段的科学内涵,以及我国空间引力波探测任务设计的科学目标和探测潜力。     

OJ 287的引力波辐射研究

类星体OJ 287的研究已经有100多年的历史,它呈现周期性双峰爆发现象,爆发周期为12 yr,比较好地解释观测的模型是双黑洞模型,即次黑洞绕主黑洞运动,并撞击主黑洞吸积盘从而引起爆发.此模型合理地解释了OJ 287的光变曲线并正确预言了未来爆发时间,这间接证明了广义相对论进动效应以及引力波的存在.星系中心大质量黑洞是一类重要的引力波源,而精确确定了其内部组分运动学方程的星系非常少,由于双黑洞模型提供了精确的黑洞运动轨道,故可以在这个运动轨道基础上研究其引力波辐射.在已有工作基础上,采用后牛顿近似方法首次得到了引力波辐射功率和波形随时间的演化关系,根据目前引力波探测设备IPTA(International Pulsar Timing Array)的进展情况,未来十几年内对OJ 287的引力波直接探测将成为可能.     

恒星级双黑洞自旋研究进展

自2015年以来,人们已经探测到93例恒星级双黑洞并合引力波事件,测量了双黑洞质量、自旋和距离等参数,并获得了其统计分布。不同双黑洞起源机制产生的双黑洞性质分布,特别是自旋分布,会显著不同,其可用来限制双黑洞起源。简单回顾了双星演化和动力学相互作用等双黑洞形成机制及自旋来源;综述了利用自旋限制双黑洞起源的一般方法和常见模型,以及利用LIGO/Virgo引力波数据取得的相关进展,并对未来发展前景进行了展望。     

双星系统中大质量比致密天体质量四极矩对轨道频率的影响分析

极端质量比旋进系统是空间引力波探测器最重要的波源之一。对引力波的探测需要高精度波形模版。当前主流的极端质量比旋进系统引力波计算模型中,人们一般将小质量天体当作试验粒子进行计算,而忽略了其结构及自身引力对背景引力场的影响。利用Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon方程研究延展体在弯曲时空中的运动,以及小天体自旋和质量多极矩对引力波信号识别产生的影响。结果表明,质量比在10?6-10?4范围的旋进系统,其自旋达到很大时,自旋对延展体的轨道运动有不可忽略的影响;在质量比10?4-10?2区间内,需要考虑中心黑洞潮汐作用导致的白矮星形变;在质量比大于10?4,且白矮星自旋很大时,其自旋产生的形变会对小天体轨道运动产生不可忽略的影响。大质量黑洞潮汐作用导致的恒星级黑洞或中子星产生的形变可以忽略,中子星和黑洞的自旋会对轨道运动产生不可忽略的影响,而自旋产生的四极矩对轨道运动不产生影响。     

嫦娥四号低频射电频谱仪降低背景噪声方法的研究

嫦娥四号着陆器将搭载低频射电频谱仪在月球背面进行低频射电天文观测,低频射电频谱仪的观测波段为0.1~40 MHz。根据着陆器在中国空间技术研究院的微波暗室进行的电磁兼容性试验结果,着陆器平台在该频段内自身存在非常强的噪声,其强度甚至淹没大部分来自太阳爆发的信号,难以探测有效信号,实现预期的科学目标。通过模拟仿真分析谱减法、维纳滤波及自适应滤波3种方法对着陆器噪声消除的效果,从而选择更为有效的噪声消除方法,为低频射电频谱仪在轨探测任务的数据处理提供依据。     

A cryogenic payload for the 3rd generation of gravitational wave interferometers

Thermal noise is a limiting factor of interferometric gravitational wave detectors sensitivity in the low and intermediate frequency range. A concrete possibility for beating this limit, is represented by the development of a cryogenic last stage suspension to be integrated within a complex seismic isolation system. To this purpose a last stage payload prototype has been designed and built. It has been suspended within a dedicated cryostat with the same technique adopted for the VIRGO payload and making use of two thin wires in a cradle configuration to support a mirror made of silicon.The cooling strategy, the thermal behaviour and the system mechanical response have been deeply studied while a measurement characterization campaign has been performed both at room temperature and at cryogenic temperature. In this paper, the preliminary results obtained together with the first cooling down of the 300 kg overall mass payload at about 25 K, are reported. This study will play a driving role in the design of the third generation gravitational wave detector.     

Gravitational waves: The future of black hole physics

The new millennium will witness the operation of several long-baseline ground-based interferometric detectors, possibly a space-based detector too, which will make it possible to directly observe black holes by catching gravitational waves emitted by them during their formation or when they are perturbed or when a binary consisting of black holes in-spirals due to radiation reaction. Such observations will help us not only to test some of the fundamental predictions of Einstein's general relativity but will also give us the unique opportunity to map black hole spacetimes, to measure the masses and spins of black holes and their population, etc.     

Gravitational Radiation from Pulsating Magnetic White Dwarfs

Rotating white dwarfs undergoing quasi-radial oscillations can emit gravitational radiation in a frequency range from 0.1-0.3 Hz. Assuming that the energy source for the gravitational radiation comes from the oblateness of the white dwarf induced by the rotation, the strain amplitude is found to be 10^-25 for a white dwarf at 50 pc. We had calculated thermal energy losses through a magneto-hydrodynamic mechanism and found it smaller than estimated before. The galactic population of these sources is estimated to be 10⁷ and may produce a confusion-limited foreground for proposed advanced detectors in the frequency band between space-based and ground-based interferometers. Nearby oscillating white dwarfs may provide a clear enough signal to investigate white dwarf interiors through gravitational wave astroseismology.     

引力波和引力波望远镜的发展

简要回顾了广义相对论中相关的引力波理论，讨论了对引力波进行探测的重要意义和几种可能的途径；系统介绍了近50年来国际上对引力波进行探测的主要活动，以及当前几个具有代表性的引力波望远镜工程的进展。     

引力波理论和实验的新进展

引力波的存在是爱因斯坦在广义相对论理论中提出的一个重要预言．由于目前技术水平的限制,无法在实验室产生足以被探测到的引力波,因此宇宙中大量的大质量剧烈活动的天体成为科学家研究引力波的首选,从而诞生了引力波天文学．引力波探测将开启研究宇宙的新窗口,是继电磁辐射、宇宙线和中微子探测后探索宇宙奥秘的又一重要手段,对天文学研究有着极为重要的意义.新一代应用了高灵敏度的迈克耳逊干涉仪装置的长基线引力波探测仪正在建造中．该综述从引力波理论出发,阐述了目前研究较多的可探测引力波源,给出了目前观测上的最新进展,并展望了今后的发展前景．     

Gravitational waves from compact objects

Large ground-based laser beam interferometers are presently in operation both in the USA(LIGO) and in Europe(VIRGO) and potential sources that might be detected by these instruments are revisited.The present generation of detectors does not have a sensitivity high enough to probe a significant volume of the universe and,consequently,predicted event rates are very low.The planned advanced generation of interferometers will probably be able to detect,for the first time,a gravitational signal.Advanced LIGO and...     

Controlling advanced gravitational wave detector output mode cleaners acting on the laser frequency

Advanced gravitational wave interferometers are the second generation of high sensitivity detectors aiming at the direct observation of gravitational waves of astrophysical origin. To improve the sensitivity tenfold around the most sensitive frequency region at 100 Hz with respect to first generation instruments, several new techniques are being implemented. This paper focuses on the output mode cleaner (OMC), which is a resonant cavity, placed at the main output port of the interferometer. The OMC plays the role of a passive spatial and frequency filter for the beam carrying the gravitational wave signal. Such a cavity is crucial to reach the design sensitivity of advanced detectors. So far, the proper resonance condition of the laser beam was ensured by actively controlling the optical length of the OMC. We propose a new scheme: in order to keep the OMC at resonance, the laser frequency is controlled instead of the OMC length. This approach no longer requires actuators on the OMC, allowing an improvement of the OMC in terms of filtering capabilities, noise performances and simplicity. We show how to implement this technique in the control acquisition sequence, and the sensing and control strategy of advanced detectors.     

Gravitational radiation of slowly rotating neutron stars

The gravitational rotation of slowly rotating neutron stars with rough surfaces is examined. The source of the gravitational waves is assumed to be the energy transferred to the crust of the star during irregular changes in its angular rotation velocity. It is shown that individual pulsars whose angular velocity regularly undergoes glitches will radiate a periodic gravitational signal that can be distinguished from noise by the latest generation of detectors. Simultaneous recording of a gravitational signal and of a glitch in the angular velocity of a pulsar will ensure reliable detection of gravitational radiation. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 221–229 (May 2006).