LISA Pathfinder test masses floating freely
Major milestone towards science operations in March
The LISA Pathfinder mission scientists have successfully released both of the cubic gold–platinum test masses inside the satellite. LISA Pathfinder will place these cubes in the most precise free fall ever obtained to demonstrate technologies for observing gravitational waves from space.
Background information
Paving the way for new astronomy
LISA Pathfinder paves the way for eLISA, a large space observatory for the direct observation of one of the most elusive astronomical phenomena – gravitational waves. These tiny distortions of space-time were predicted by Albert Einstein and were recently detected for the first time ever by the ground-based Advanced LIGO detectors. Space observatories like eLISA will measure gravitational waves in the millihertz range unaccessible to detectors such as Advanced LIGO. Low frequency gravitational waves are emitted, e.g., by pairs of supermassive black holes or binary White Dwarf systems. Space-based detectors will complement the ground-based detectors such as GEO600, aLIGO, and Virgo, which can observe less massive objects at higher frequencies in the audio range. Gravitational wave observatories will probe unknown domains – the “dark side of the universe” – in concert with other astronomical methods. With eLISA, scientist for example want to research the formation, growth and merger of massive black holes. It will also be possible to further test Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and search for unknown physics.
The highly sensitive measurement system of LPF
Two identical cube-shaped test masses weighing about two kilograms each will be free-floating in their own vacuum canisters for the duration of the mission. They will be almost free of all internal and external disturbances and will thus allow the demonstration of the precise measurement of free-falling masses in space. A special gold-platinum alloy has been used for the masses to eliminate any influence from magnetic forces. Using ultraviolet radiation, a contact-free discharge system prevents electrostatic charge build-up on the test masses. The caging and grabbing mechanism – responsible for protecting the test masses from intense vibrations during launch, releasing them in a highly controlled setting, and capturing them as necessary – is a particular challenge in this context. A laser interferometer will measure the position and orientation of the two test masses relative to the spacecraft and to each other with a precision of approximately 10 picometers (one hundred millionth of a millimeter). In addition, there are less precise capacitive inertial sensors that also help determine their positions. The positional data is used by a Drag-Free Attitude Control System (DFACS) to control the spacecraft and ensure it always remains centered on one test mass. The actual position of the satellite is controlled through cold gas micro-Newton thrusters, which have the capability of delivering propulsion in extremely fine and uniform amounts. The thrust generated is in the micro-Newton range – this equates to the weight of a grain of sand on Earth.
