first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Lightsaber: A Simulator of the Angular Sensing and Control System in LIGO by Tomislav Andric 1,2,*ORCID andJan Harms 1,2ORCID 1 Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), I-67100 L’Aquila, Italy 2 Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), INFN, I-67100 Assergi, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Galaxies 2021, 9(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies9030061 Submission received: 20 July 2021 / Revised: 31 August 2021 / Accepted: 1 September 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Development for Gravitational Wave Detector) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract The suspended test masses of gravitational-wave (GW) detectors require precise alignment to be able to operate the detector stably and with high sensitivity. This includes the continuous counter-acting of seismic disturbances, which, below a few Hertz, are not sufficiently reduced by the seismic isolation system. The residual angular motion of suspended test masses is further suppressed by the Angular Sensing and Control (ASC) system. However, in doing so, the angular motion can be enhanced by the ASC at higher frequencies where the seismic isolation system is very effective. This has led to sensitivity limitations between about 10 Hz and 25 Hz of the LIGO detectors in past observation runs. The observed ASC noise was larger than simple models predict, which means that more accurate detector models and new simulation tools are required. In this article, we present Lightsaber, a new time-domain simulator of the ASC in LIGO. Lightsaber is a nonlinear simulation of the optomechanical system consisting of the high-power cavity laser beam and the last two stages of suspension in LIGO including the ASC. The main noise inputs are power fluctuations of the laser beam at the input of the arm cavities, read-out noise of sensors used for the ASC, displacement noise from the suspension platforms, and noise introduced by the suspension damping loops. While the plant simulation uses local degrees of freedom of individual suspension systems, the control is applied on a global angular basis, which requires a conversion between the local and global bases for sensing and actuation. Some of the studies that can be done with this simulation concern mis-centering of the beam-spot (BS) position on the test masses, the role of laser power fluctuations for angular dynamics, and the role of the various nonlinear dynamics. The next important step following this work will be a detailed comparison between Lightsaber results and data from the control channels of the LIGO detectors.

Lightsaber: A Simulator of the Angular Sensing and Control System in LIGO

Andric, Tomislav;Harms, Jan
2021-01-01

Abstract

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Lightsaber: A Simulator of the Angular Sensing and Control System in LIGO by Tomislav Andric 1,2,*ORCID andJan Harms 1,2ORCID 1 Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI), I-67100 L’Aquila, Italy 2 Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), INFN, I-67100 Assergi, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Galaxies 2021, 9(3), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies9030061 Submission received: 20 July 2021 / Revised: 31 August 2021 / Accepted: 1 September 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Development for Gravitational Wave Detector) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract The suspended test masses of gravitational-wave (GW) detectors require precise alignment to be able to operate the detector stably and with high sensitivity. This includes the continuous counter-acting of seismic disturbances, which, below a few Hertz, are not sufficiently reduced by the seismic isolation system. The residual angular motion of suspended test masses is further suppressed by the Angular Sensing and Control (ASC) system. However, in doing so, the angular motion can be enhanced by the ASC at higher frequencies where the seismic isolation system is very effective. This has led to sensitivity limitations between about 10 Hz and 25 Hz of the LIGO detectors in past observation runs. The observed ASC noise was larger than simple models predict, which means that more accurate detector models and new simulation tools are required. In this article, we present Lightsaber, a new time-domain simulator of the ASC in LIGO. Lightsaber is a nonlinear simulation of the optomechanical system consisting of the high-power cavity laser beam and the last two stages of suspension in LIGO including the ASC. The main noise inputs are power fluctuations of the laser beam at the input of the arm cavities, read-out noise of sensors used for the ASC, displacement noise from the suspension platforms, and noise introduced by the suspension damping loops. While the plant simulation uses local degrees of freedom of individual suspension systems, the control is applied on a global angular basis, which requires a conversion between the local and global bases for sensing and actuation. Some of the studies that can be done with this simulation concern mis-centering of the beam-spot (BS) position on the test masses, the role of laser power fluctuations for angular dynamics, and the role of the various nonlinear dynamics. The next important step following this work will be a detailed comparison between Lightsaber results and data from the control channels of the LIGO detectors.
2021
angular sensing and control; optomechanical coupling; time domain simulation; LIGO
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12571/25331
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