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NASA NTRS2009

Observing Merging Massive Black Hole Binaries with LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to detect gravitational radiation from the inspiral and merger of massive black hole binaries at high redshifts with large signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). These high-SNR observations will make it possible to extract physical parameters such as hole masses and spins, luminosity distance, and sky position from the observed waveforms. LISA'S effectiveness as a tool for astrophysics will be influenced by the precision with which these parameters can be measured. In addition, the practicality of coordinated observations with other instruments will be affected by the temporal evolution of parameter errors such as sky position. We present estimates of parameter errors for the special case of non-spinning black holes. Our focus is on the contribution of the late inspiral and merger portions of the waveform, a regime which typically dominates the SNR but has not been extensively studied due to the historic lack of a precise description of the waveform. Advances in numerical relativity have recently made such studies possible. Initial results suggest that the portion of the waveform beyond the Schwarzchild inner-most stable circular orbit can reduce parameter uncertainties by up to a factor of two.

Thorpe, J.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Impact of Merger/Ringdown on SMBHB Parameter Estimation with LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will measure gravitational waves from the inspiral and merger of supermassive black hole bina ries (SMBHBs) at high redshift with large signal to noise. These meas urements will allow extraction of the SMBHB parameters (component mas ses, spins, binary orbital parameters, sky location, and distance) wi th exquisite accuracy. Here we present a study of the impact on measu red parameter precision from the inclusion of accurate waveforms for the merger/ringdown portion of the signal. we focus specifically on s ky-position and luminosity distance, the most important parameters fo r constraining searches for potential electromagnetic counterparts to SMBHB merger events.

Thorpe, James I.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Telescope Design for LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission Proposal was selected in June 2017 for the L3 opportunity as part of ESA's Cosmic Visions Program. A space-based gravitational wave observatory requires optical telescopes to enable displacement measurements between pairs of drag-free proof masses with a precision of approximately 10 picometers/Hz over separations of 2.5 million km. We describe the somewhat unusual requirements for these telescopes and a proposed design that would meet these requirements.

Livas, Jeffrey C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of the Laser System for the LISA Mission

Anthony W. Yu↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of the NASA LISA Laser System Development

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing the Laser System (LS) for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with a launch date of 2035. The LS under development at NASA GSFC consists of the Laser Head (LH), the Frequency Reference System (FRS), and the Power Monitor (PMON) Detector Assemblies. Since late 2017, we have been developing various models to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) for the LH from prototype (TRL4) to a system model demonstration in a relevant environment (TRL6). For the LH and FRS, the models further breakdown into the optical and electronics modules where the LH is made up of the Laser Optical Module (LOM) and the Laser Electronics Module (LEM) and the FRS consists of the FRS Optical Reference Cavity (FRS-O) and the FRS Electronics (FRS-E). The LS development follows the established NASA process in demonstrating the performance requirements [1] through the TRL4 effort and then advancing the form factor and package design to meet relevant environment requirements and qualifying the TRL6 design through rigorous testing and performance verification for space applications. The LOM for the LH is a main oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) with wavelength of 1064 nm and nominal output power of 2 Watt throughout the mission. The low-power, low-noise main oscillator (MO) is a custom micro non-planar ring oscillator (µNPRO) [2] that is phase modulated then amplified by the forward pumped ytterbium-dope fiber power amplifier (PA) stage to meet the output power requirement. The FRS is baselined on the GRACE Follow-On (GFO) [3] approach with updated FRS-E design to work with the LH-LEM. The PMON is located on the Optical Bench Assembly (OBA) [4] that samples a small portion of the LH output signal and provides the feedback signal to the LH-LEM for relative intensity noise (RIN) control. In this paper, we will report on the latest status of the LH testing and system level tests, explain the other subsystems involved in the test campaigns, and discuss the path to bring each LS subsystem to TRL6. We will also present the NASA GSFC roadmap in advancing the LISA LS to TRL6+ and plans for future system level testing as well as the preparation for space flight development to meet the LISA launch date of 2035.

amplifier↗

NASA NTRS1998

The LISA Mission Design

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be capable of detecting gravitational waves with frequencies from 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz by using laser interferometers to monitor changes in the distances between test masses in spacecraft separated by five million km.

Laser↗

NASA NTRS2004

LISA Thermal Design

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, a space based gravitational wave detector, uses laser metrology to measure distance fluctuations between proof masses aboard three spacecraft. The total acceleration disturbance to each proof mass is required to be below 3 x 10(exp -15) meters per second squared per the square root of Hertz. Optical path length variations on each optical bench must be kept below about 3 pm per the square root of Hertz. Noise due to spacecraft thermal distortions, temperature difference variations across proof mass housing, and other thermal effects are expected to be a significant contributors to these noise budgets. The LISA Integrated Modeling team developed a detailed thermal model that is currently being used to drive the design of LISA. Several new thermal analysis techniques are also being developed in order to achieve model accuracies to LISA levels. We present here an overview of the LISA thermal design and modeling efforts. The latest thermal results calculated using the current baseline design of LISA are also discussed.

Merkowitz, Stephen↗

NASA NTRS2009

Testbed for LISA Photodetectors

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a gravitational wave observatory consisting of three spacecraft separated by 5 million km in an equilateral triangle whose center follows the Earth in orbit around the Sun but offset in orbital phase by 20 degrees. LISA is designed to observe sources in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz-100 mHz by measuring fluctuations of the inter-spacecraft separation with laser interferometry. Quadrant photodetectors are used to measure both separation and angular orientation. Noise level, phase and amplitude inhomogeneities of the semiconductor response, and channel cross-talk between quadrant cells need to be assessed in order to ensure the 10 pm/Square root(Hz) sensitivity required for the interferometric length measurement in LISA. To this end, we are currently developing a testbed that allows us to evaluate photodetectors to the sensitivity levels required for LISA. A detailed description of the testbed and preliminary results will be presented.

Guzman, Felipe↗

NASA NTRS2008

LISA Instrument Performance

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is designed to observe gravitational waves in the frequency band from 10(exp -1) to 10(exp -4) Hz where a rich spectrum of sources is expected. The measurements must be made from space to avoid the large motions of the earth that prevent the current generations (eg. LIGO) from operating at these freq8uencies. The technology and expected performance behind this measurement capability will be reviewed with an emphasis on the interferometric measurement system., including recent laboratory results showing a novel tunable frequency stabilized laser.

Livas, Jeffrey C.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Laser Interferometry for Gravitational Wave Observation: LISA and LISA Pathfinder

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a planned NASA-ESA gravitational wave observatory in the frequency range of 0.1mHz-100mHz. This observation band is inaccessible to ground-based detectors due to the large ground motions of the Earth. Gravitational wave sources for LISA include galactic binaries, mergers of supermasive black-hole binaries, extreme-mass-ratio inspirals, and possibly from as yet unimagined sources. LISA is a constellation of three spacecraft separated by 5 million km in an equilateral triangle, whose center follows the Earth in a heliocentric orbit with an orbital phase offset oF 20 degrees. Challenging technology is required to ensure pure geodetic trajectories of the six onboard test masses, whose distance fluctuations will be measured by interspacecraft laser interferometers with picometer accuracy. LISA Pathfinder is an ESA-launched technology demonstration mission of key LISA subsystems such us spacecraft control with micro-newton thrusters, test mass drag-free control, and precision laser interferometry between free-flying test masses. Ground testing of flight hardware of the Gravitational Reference Sensor and Optical Metrology subsystems of LISA Pathfinder is currently ongoing. An introduction to laser interferometric gravitational wave detection, ground-based observatories, and a detailed description of the two missions together with an overview of current investigations conducted by the community will bc discussed. The current status in development and implementation of LISA Pathfinder pre-flight systems and latest results of the ongoing ground testing efforts will also be presented

Guzman, Felipe↗

NASA NTRS2002

LISA Optics Model

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) experiment has six telescopes, in three spacecraft, in orbit about the sun. There is a continuous two-way laser link between all of the spacecraft. The ability to make sub picometer level performance predictions about the interferometry for such a large optical system which has major subassemblies separated by 5 million kilometer distances which are constantly moving with respect to each other requires a slight extension of existing optical analysis techniques. To see this a description of the approach used to model all of the optics, in the spacecraft in orbit, is presented and the ability of this model to analyze requirements is discussed.

Waluschka, Eugene↗

NASA NTRS2019

Proposed LISA Telescope Design

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), requires high precision displacement measurement between widely spaced pairs of freely floating test masses. We describe a proposed design for the optical telescopes that form an essential part of the laser heterodyne interferometry measurement system and discuss how the design and implementation will address the unique challenges of this specialized application.

Livas, J.↗

NASA NTRS2010

LISA Technology Development and Risk Reduction at NASA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint ESA-NASA project to design, build and operate a space-based gravitational wave detector based on a laser interferometer. LISA relies on several technologies that are either new to spaceflight or must perform at levels not previously demonstrated in a spaceflight environment. The ESA-led LISA Pathfinder mission is the main effort to demonstrate LISA technology. NASA also supports complementary ground-based technology development and risk reduction activities. This presentation will report the status of NASA work on micronewton thrusters, the telescope, the optical pointing subsystem and mission formulation. More details on some of these topics will be given in posters. Other talks and posters will describe NASA-supported work on the laser subsystem, the phasemeter, and aspects of the interferometry. Two flight-qualified clusters of four colloid micronewton thrusters, each capable of thrust Levels between 5 and 30 microNewton with a resolution less than 0.l microNewton and a thrust noise less than 0.1 microNewton/vHz (0.001 to 4 Hz), have been integrated onto the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. The complementary ground-based development focuses on lifetime demonstration. Laboratory verification of failure models and accelerated life tests are just getting started. LISA needs a 40 cm diameter, afocal telescope for beam expansion/reduction that maintains an optical pathlength stability of approximately 1 pm/vHz in an extremely stable thermal environment. A mechanical prototype of a silicon carbide primary-secondary structure has been fabricated for stability testing. Two optical assemblies must point at different distant spacecraft with nanoradian accuracy over approximately 1 degree annual variation in the angle between the distant spacecraft. A candidate piezo-inchworm actuator is being tested in a suitable testbed. In addition to technology development, NASA has carried out several studies in support of the mission formulation. The results of systems engineering work on flight software, avionics and reliability will be summarized.

Stebbins, Robin T.↗

NASA NTRS2009

LISA: Detecting Gravitational Waves from Space

The laser interferometer space antenna (LISA), a joint NASA/ESA mission, will be the first dedicated gravitational wave detector in space. This presentation will provide a tutorial of the LISA measurement concept.

Livas, Jeff↗

NASA NTRS2011

CFRP Dimensional Stability Investigations for Use on the LISA Mission Telescope

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a mission designed to detect low frequency gravitational-waves. In order for LISA to succeed in its goal of direct measurement of gravitational waves, many subsystems must work together to measure the distance between proof masses on adjacent spacecraft. One such subsystem, the telescope, plays a critical role as it is the laser transmission and reception link between spacecraft. Not only must the material that makes up the telescope support structure be strong, stiff and light, but it must have a dimensional stability of better than 1 pm Hz(exp -1/2) at 3 mHz and the distance between the primary and the secondary mirrors must change by less than 2.5 micron over the mission lifetime. CFRP is the current baseline materiaL however, it has not been tested to the pico-meter level as required by the LISA mission. In this paper we present dimensional stability results, outgassing effects occurring in the cavity and discuss its feasibility for use as the telescope spacer for the LISA spacecraft.

Sanjuan, J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

The LISA Integrated Model

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) space mission has unique needs that argue for an aggressive modeling effort. These models ultimately need to forecast and interrelate the behavior of the science input, structure, optics, control systems, and many other factors that affect the performance of the flight hardware. In addition, many components of these integrated models will also be used separately for the evaluation and investigation of design choices, technology development and integration and test. This article presents an overview of the LISA integrated modeling effort.

Merkowitz, Stephen M.↗

NASA NTRS2010

LISA and LISA Pathfinder: Gravitational Wave Observation in Space

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a planned NASA-ESA gravitational wave observatory in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz--100 mHz. This observation band is inaccessible to ground-based detectors due to fluctuations in the Earth gravitational field. Gravitational wave sources for LISA include galactic binaries, mergers of supermassive black-hole binaries, extreme-mass-ratio inspirals, and cosmology backgrounds and bursts. LISA is a constellation of three spacecraft separated by 5 million km in an equilateral triangle, whose center follows the Earth in a heliocentric orbit with an orbital phase offset of 20 degrees. Challenging technology is required to ensure pure geodetic trajectories of the six onboard test masses, whose distance fluctuations will be measured by interspacecraft laser interferometers with picometer accuracy. LISA Pathfinder is an ESA-launched technology demonstration mission of key LISA subsystems such as spacecraft control with micronewton thrusters, test mass drag-free control, and precision laser interferometry between free-flying test masses. Ground testing of hardware of the Gravitational Reference Sensor and Optical Metrology subsystems of LISA Pathfinder is currently ongoing. A detailed description of the two missions and an overview of current investigations conducted by the community will be discussed. The current status in development and implementation of LISA Pathfinder pre-flight systems and latest results of the ongoing ground testing efforts will also be presented.

Guzman, Felipe↗

NASA NTRS2006

Engineering the LISA Project: Systems Engineering Challenges

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint NASA/ESA mission to detect and measure gravitational waves with periods from 1 s to 10000 s. The systems engineering challenges of developing a giant interferometer, 5 million kilometers on a side, an: numerous. Some of the key challenges are presented in this paper. The organizational challenges imposed by sharing the engineering function between three centers (ESA ESTEC, NASA GSFC, and JPL) across nine time zones are addressed. The issues and approaches to allocation of the acceleration noise and measurement sensitivity budget terms across a traditionally decomposed system are discussed. Additionally, using LISA to detect gravitational waves for the first time presents significant data analysis challenges, many of which drive the project system design. The approach to understanding the implications of science data analysis on the system is also addressed.

systems engineering↗