Charging of free-falling test masses in orbit due to cosmic rays: Results from LISA Pathfinder

Autor: M. Armano, H. Audley, J. Baird, P. Binetruy, M. Born, D. Bortoluzzi, E. Castelli, A. Cavalleri, A. Cesarini, A. M. Cruise, K. Danzmann, M. de Deus Silva, I. Diepholz, G. Dixon, R. Dolesi, L. Ferraioli, V. Ferroni, E. D. Fitzsimons, M. Freschi, L. Gesa, D. Giardini, F. Gibert, R. Giusteri, C. Grimani, J. Grzymisch, I. Harrison, M.-S. Hartig, G. Heinzel, M. Hewitson, D. Hollington, D. Hoyland, M. Hueller, H. Inchauspé, O. Jennrich, P. Jetzer, N. Karnesis, B. Kaune, C. J. Killow, N. Korsakova, J. A. Lobo, J. P. López-Zaragoza, R. Maarschalkerweerd, D. Mance, V. Martín, J. Martino, L. Martin-Polo, F. Martin-Porqueras, P. W. McNamara, J. Mendes, L. Mendes, N. Meshksar, M. Nofrarias, S. Paczkowski, M. Perreur-Lloyd, A. Petiteau, E. Plagnol, J. Ramos-Castro, J. Reiche, F. Rivas, D. I. Robertson, G. Russano, J. Slutsky, C. F. Sopuerta, T. J. Sumner, D. Texier, J. I. Thorpe, D. Vetrugno, S. Vitale, G. Wanner, H. Ward, P. J. Wass, W. J. Weber, L. Wissel, A. Wittchen, P. Zweifel
Přispěvatelé: HEP, INSPIRE, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. IEB - Instrumentació Electrònica i Biomèdica, AstroParticule et Cosmologie (APC (UMR_7164)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, LISA Pathfinder, LISA Pathfinder Collaboration
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Phys.Rev.D
Phys.Rev.D, 2023, 107 (6), pp.062007. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevD.107.062007⟩
Physical Review D
ISSN: 2470-0029
2470-0010
DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.107.062007
Popis: A comprehensive summary of the measurements made to characterize test mass charging due to the space environment during the LISA Pathfinder mission is presented. Measurements of the residual charge of the test mass after release by the grabbing and positioning mechanism, show that the initial charge of the test masses was negative after all releases, leaving the test mass with a potential in the range $-12$ mV to $-512$ mV. Variations in the neutral test mass charging rate between $21.7$ e s$^{-1}$ and $30.7$ e s$^{-1}$ were observed over the course of the 17-month science operations produced by cosmic ray flux changes including a Forbush decrease associated with a small solar energetic particle event. A dependence of the cosmic ray charging rate on the test mass potential between $-30.2$ e s$^{-1}$ V$^{-1}$ and $-40.3$ e s$^{-1}$ V$^{-1}$ was observed and this is attributed to a contribution to charging from low-energy electrons emitted from the gold surfaces of the gravitational reference sensor. Data from the on-board particle detector show a reliable correlation with the charging rate and with other environmental monitors of the cosmic ray flux. This correlation is exploited to extrapolate test mass charging rates to a 20-year period giving useful insight into the expected range of charging rate that may be observed in the LISA mission.
Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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