LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) for GW Detection in LF Band: Conceptual Design -  Week 17, Lecture 31  [by William Folkner (JPL)]

1. The context: Noise curves and GW sources for LISA and for LIGO; white-dwarf  / white-dwarf background noise for LISA.
2. History of ideas for a LISA type GW detector: 1978 - 1998; motivations for changes of conceptual design as time passed
3. Noise estimates for current LISA design

1. The noise curve, in detail
2. Shot noise and what determines it
3. Influence of arm length

Spacecraft formation and orbits; influence of time-varying arm lengths:

1. Time-varying separation between spacecraft; time-varying doppler shift
2. Local frequency standard to deal with varying doppler shifts; noise in frequency standard
3. Pointing changes to deal with spacecraft motions; pointing noise
4. An alternative spacecraft formation that has been explored: triangle orbiting earth rather than sun; comparison with LISA's design
5. Variation of antenna pattern with time modulates source amplitudes; gives information about directions to sources
6. Cancelling laser phase noise by combining signals from arms, with time delays based on estimated arm lengths
7. How errors in arm-length knowledge degrade this phase-noise cancellation

Overview of spacecraft and launch

1. An individual spacecraft: science module [lasers, telescopes, proof masses]; thermal shields; radio antennas; propulsion module
2. Launch vehicle; launch configuration

Payload [science module] on each spacecraft

1. Telescopes and their pointing
2. Drag-free system; its proof masses; accelerations
3. Optical system; optical bench; telescope detail

Thermal and laser noise

1. Thermal stability: solar luminosity fluctuations; thermal stabilization; expected thermal fluctuations and their affects
2. Laser frequency noise; factors that influence it

Disturbance-Reduction System [DRS] (Drag-free system)

1. Proof masses and sensors for their motions

1. Heritage from previous missions: TRIAD, GP-B, GRACE, CHAMP, ...
2. Proof-mass shape: sphere vs cube; choice of cube
3. Capacitive sensor configuration

Acceleration noise of proof masss; various contributions: spacecraft gravity, patch fields on proof masses and capacitive sensors, magnetic forces, gas-pressure, thermal photon pressure, ...

Ground tests with torsion-pendulum facilities

Control system

Thrusters and their performance

LISA test flight

1. The Nature of Gravitational Waves
2. Gravitational Waves Data Analysis
3. Gravitational Wave Sources in Neutron Stars
4. Introduction to General Relativity: Tidal Gravity
5. Mathematics of General Relativity: Tensor Algebra
6. Mathematics of General Relativity: Tensor Differentiation
7. Introduction to General Relativity (4/5)
8. Introduction to General Relativity (5/5)
9. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (1/6)
10. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (2/6)
11. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (3/6)
12. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (4/6)
13. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (5/6)
14. Weak Gravitational Waves in Flat Spacetime (6/6); Propagation of Gravitational Waves Through Curved Spacetime (1/5)
15. Propagation of Gravitational Waves Through Curved Spacetime (2/5)
16. Propagation of Gravitational Waves Through Curved Spacetime (3/5)
17. Propagation of Gravitational Waves Through Curved Spacetime (4/5)
18. Propagation of Gravitational Waves Through Curved Spacetime (5/5)
19. Generation of Gravitational Waves by Slow-Motion Sources in Curved Spacetime (1/2)
20. Generation of Gravitational Waves by Slow-Motion Sources in Curved Spacetime (2/2)
21. Astrophysical Phenomenology of Binary-Star GW Sources (1/5)
22. Astrophysical Phenomenology of Binary-Star GW Sources (2/5)
23. Astrophysical Phenomenology of Binary-Star GW Sources (3/5)
24. Astrophysical Phenomenology of Binary-Star GW Sources (4/5)
25. Astrophysical Phenomenology of Binary-Star GW Sources (5/5); Post-Newtonian G-Waveforms for LIGO & Its Partners (1/2
26. Post-Newtonian Gravitational Waveforms for LIGO & Its Partners (2/2)
27. Supermassive Black Holes and their Gravitational Waves (1/3)
28. Supermassive Black Holes and their Gravitational Waves (2/3)
29. Supermassive Black Holes and their Gravitational Waves (3/3); Gravitational Waves from Inflation (1/2)
30. Gravitational Waves from Inflation (2/2)
31. Gravitational Waves from Neutron-Star Rotation and Pulsation (1/2)
32. Gravitational Waves from Neutron-Star Rotation and Pulsation (2/2)
33. Numerical Relativity as a Tool for Computing GW Generation (1/2)
34. Numerical Relativity as a Tool for Computing GW Generation (2/2)
35. The Physics Underlying Earth-Based Gravitational Wave Interferometers (1/4)
36. The Physics Underlying Earth-Based Gravitational Wave Interferometers (2/4)
37. The Physics Underlying Earth-Based Gravitational Wave Interferometers (3/4)
38. The Physics Underlying Earth-Based Gravitational Wave Interferometers (4/4)
39. Overview of Real LIGO Interferometers (1/2)
40. Overview of Real LIGO Interferometers (2/2)
41. Thermal Noise in LIGO Interferometers and its Control (1/2)
42. Thermal Noise in LIGO Interferometers and its Control (2/2)
43. Control Systems and Laser Frequency Stabilization (1/2)
44. Control Systems and Laser Frequency Stabilization (2/2)
45. Interferometer Simulations and Lock Acquisition in LIGO
46. Seismic Isolation in Earth-Based Interferometers
47. Quantum Optical noise in GW Interferometers (1/2)
48. Quantum Optical noise in GW Interferometers (2/2)
49. LIGO data analysis (1/2)
50. LIGO data analysis (2/2)
51. The Long-Term Future of LIGO: Facility Limits
52. The Long-Term Future of LIGO: Techniques for Improving on LIGO-II
53. Large Experimental Science and LIGO as an Example (1/2)
54. Large Experimental Science and LIGO as an Example (2/2)
55. Resonant-Mass GW Detectors for the HF Band (1/2)
56. Resonant-Mass GW Detectors for the HF Band (2/2)
57. CAJAGWR talk by W.O. Hamilton on Resonant-Mass GW Detectors
58. Doppler tracking of spacecraft for GW detection in the low frequency band
59. Pulsar timing for GW detection in the very low frequency band
60. LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) for GW Detection in LF Band: Conceptual Design (1/2)
61. LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) for GW Detection in LF Band: Conceptual Design (2/2)
62. LISA's Lasers and Optics (1/2)
63. LISA's Lasers and Optics (2/2)
64. Time-Delay Interferometry [TDI] for LISA (1/2)
65. Time-Delay Interferometry [TDI] for LISA (2/2)
66. LISA's Distrubance Reduction System (DRS) [Drag-Free System] (1/2)
67. LISA's Distrubance Reduction System (DRS) [Drag-Free System] (2/2)
68. The Big-Bang Observatory [BBO]: A Possible Follow-On Mission to LISA
69. GW's from Inflation and GW Detection in ELF Band via Anisotropy of CMB Polarization

Caltech's Physics 237-2002: Gravitational Waves
A Web-Based Course organized and Designed by Kip S. Thorne, Mihai Bondarescu and Yanbei Chen.

This course contains all the materials from a graduate-student-level course on Gravitational Waves taught at the California Institute of Technology, January through May of 2002. The materials include Quicktime videos of the lectures, lists of suggested and supplementary reading, copies of some of the readings, many exercises, and solutions to all exercises. The video files are so large that it may not be possible to stream them from most sites, but they can be downloaded. Alternatively, the course materials on DVD's can be borrowed via Interlibrary Loan from the Caltech Library (click on CLAS, then on Call Number, then enter QC179.T56 2002 ).

Questions and issues about this course and website can be directed to Mihai Bondarescu or Yanbei Chen.

Resources:

• - Part A - Gravitational-Wave Theory and Sources
• - Part B - Gravitational-Wave Detectors - original outline
• - Part B - Gravitational-Wave Detectors - alternative outline with the lectures reordered more logically
• - Course Materials

Credits:
Lectures by Thorne and Guest Lecturers*
Video of lectures by Bondarescu and Chen
Homework problems by Thorne and Guest Lecturers
Homework solutions by Bondarescu and Chen

*John Armstrong (JPL), Barry Barish, Erik Black, Alessandra Buonanno, Yanbei Chen, Riccardo De Salvo, Ronald Drever, Matt Evans, William Folkner (JPL), William Hamilton (LSU), Mark Kamionkowski, Albert Lazzarini, Lee Lindblom, Sterl Phinney, Mark Scheel, Bonny Schumaker (JPL), Robert Spero (JPL), Alan Weinstein, Phil Willems.