Search for Gravitational Radiation Using Ultralow Temperature Techniques

引力辐射的共振质量探测器 在液氦中可靠运行的 温度（4.2K），灵敏度h ~ 6x 10 -19，其中h为 波的无量纲应变振幅。 在这个 我们不希望探测到引力的灵敏度水平 除了最罕见的天体物理学 事件 在过去的几年里，斯坦福大学小组已经 一直在设计和建造超低温（50 mK） 检测器 预计其初始灵敏度为 至少h=10-19，最终小于10-20，足以 探测到来自看似罕见的 可能发生在我们银河系或其 附近。 这一努力的成功可能会直接证实 爱因斯坦的宇宙通论的一个重要预言 也为我们打开了一扇全新的窗户 宇宙将产生信息无法从 光学、无线电、红外线、X射线或伽马射线天文学。 下一个研究计划的关键要素 三年 > 超低温可靠运行 （50）探测器现已接近完成， > 该检测器的操作与其他检测器的操作一致， 引力波探测器， 输出与其它电磁（例如，伽马射线 突发）和中微子突发探测器， > 继续研究以推进最先进的 在可调电感传感器中 和SQUID。

Resonant-mass detectors of gravitational radiation have been developed that are reliably operating at liquid helium temperature (4.2K) with sensitivities h ~ 6x10-19, where h is the dimensionless strain amplitude of the waves. At this sensitivity level we do not expect to detect gravitational wave signals from anything but the rarest astrophysical events. For the past several years the Stanford group has been designing and constructing an ultralow temperature (50mK) detector. It is expected to have an initial sensitivity of at least h=10-19 and eventually less than 10-20, sufficient to detect gravitational radiation from plausible but rare astrophysical events that could occur in our galaxy or its immediate vicinity. Success in this endeavour could bring direct confirmation of an important prediction of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and also open an entirely new window on our universe that will yield information not available from optical, radio, infrared, x-ray, or gamma-ray astronomy. The key elements of the research program during the next three years are > reliable operation of the ultralow temperature (50mk) detector now nearing completion, > operation of this detector in coincidence with other gravitational wave detectors and correlate the output with other electromagnetic (e.g., gamma-ray burst) and neutrino burst detectors, > continuing research to advance the state-of-the-art in superconductive modulated-inductance transducers and SQUIDs.