SGER -- Measuring Charging Effects on LIGO Optics

该奖项支持一项研究计划，用于测量类似ligo的光学器件在真空中的电荷积累和相关时间，以及各种材料、涂层制备和环境因素。用于测量表面电荷的方法是开尔文探头，它在探头和样品之间产生电容，然后调制该电容以产生与样品电荷水平成比例的交流信号。这项工作将由PI和一名本科生在三一大学完成。由于最近在LIGO利文斯顿天文台观测到40-100赫兹频段的噪声源消失，可能与光学放电有关，因此拟议的研究对初始LIGO和当前科学运行后的任何增强都具有迫切的重要性。对于先进的LIGO和第三代干涉仪来说，为了减少最敏感频率范围内的噪声，这项研究也是必要的。

This award supports a research program to measure charge buildup and correlation time in vacuum for LIGO-like optics, as well as a variety of materials, coatings preparations, and environmental factors. The method to be used for measuring surface charge is a Kelvin probe, which creates a capacitance between probe and sample and then modulates this capacitance to generate an AC signal proportional to the sample charge level. The work will be performed at Trinity University by the PI and an undergraduate. The proposed research is of urgent importance to Initial LIGO and any enhancements following the current science run, due to the recent observation of a disappearing noise source in the 40-100 Hz frequency band at the LIGO Livingston Observatory which may be connected to the discharging of an optic. The research is also necessary for Advanced LIGO and third generation interferometers in order to reduce noise in their most sensitive frequency range.