Physics – Optics
Scientific paper
Oct 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004aps..tsf.b3002m&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, Texas Section Fall Meeting, 7-9 October, 2004, Waco, TX. MEETING ID: TSF04, abstract #B3.002
Physics
Optics
Scientific paper
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large scale Michelson-Morley interferometer with suspended optics designed to detect gravitational waves -- the tiny distortions of space-time caused by the acceleration of massive astronomical bodies. In order for the LIGO interferometer to function, the angular alignment of its mirrors must be sensed and corrected to better than 0.2 microradians. To sense the mirror alignment, we use an optical lever -- a HeNe laser reflecting off the mirror onto a position sensitive photodiode. The system is limited by the length of the lever arm and by its sensitivity to axial mirror motion. We designed, simulated, and prototyped a zoom telescope to increase the effective lever arm and eliminate sensitivity to translation. Great care was taken in aligning the lenses in the zoom telescope in order to account for a rapidly spreading Gaussian beam. The purpose of this talk is to present our measurements of the angular and axial sensitivity of our two- and three-stage zoom telescope prototypes.
McKay David
Smith Michael
Ugolini Dennis
No associations
LandOfFree
Modeling and Prototyping of a Zoom Telescope for LIGO Optical Levers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Modeling and Prototyping of a Zoom Telescope for LIGO Optical Levers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Modeling and Prototyping of a Zoom Telescope for LIGO Optical Levers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-898867