Do you know what is a vibration sensor?

JorisvanHeijningen, a postdoctoral researcher from the ARC Center of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), developed the most sensitive inertial vibration sensor in the world. Now, he proposed a similar design, but using a frequency with a low temperature below 10 Hz is 50 times more sensitive.

　　 This new type of sensor can measure vibrations of a few femtoseconds (one millionth of a billionth of a meter) in a period of 10 to 100 milliseconds (10 Hz to 100 Hz). This paper recently published in IOP’s "Journal of Instrumentation" revealed a prototype of the next-generation seismic isolation system that uses low temperatures (below 9.2 degrees and above absolute zero) with sensitivity as low as 1 Hz.

　　 Even if we cannot feel it, our planet is always vibrating tiny due to many different events in the universe and the earth. For example, from gravitational waves (small fluctuations in space and time); waves hitting the shore; or human activities. Dr. van Heijningen believes that the vibrations in some places are larger than others. If these vibrations are plotted, they will be located between two lines called the Peterson Low Noise Model (LNM/HNM).

　　’The best commercial vibration sensors have been developed to make their sensitivity lower than LNM. They are sensitive enough to measure all places on the earth with a good signal-to-noise ratio. "Van Heijningen said.

　　 So far, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) has a four-kilometer arm and uses a seismic isolation system to prevent earth vibration from affecting scientific measurements. However, future gravity wave detectors need more advanced and accurate vibration sensors.

　　 Scientists are already studying the third generation of detectors, which will have the ability to detect hundreds of black hole mergers every year and measure their mass and spin, even more than LIGO or similar European products Virgo can measure.

　　 In the United States, there will be a CosmicExplorer: a 40-kilometer observatory that can find thousands of black hole mergers every year. Equally impressive is the Einstein Telescope in Europe, with its 10-km armed triangle structure buried in the ground.

　　 van Heijningen explained that future detectors will be able to measure gravitational waves at a frequency 10 Hz lower than the current cut-off frequency, "because that is where the black hole collision signal is latent." However, one of the main problems with these large detectors is that they must be very stable-the smallest vibration can hinder detection.

　　 In essence, it is very important to bring the system close to zero degrees Kelvin (270 degrees below zero degrees Celsius) to greatly reduce the so-called thermal noise, which is common at low frequencies. In a sense, temperature is the vibration of atoms. This tiny vibration will cause noise in our sensors and detectors," van Heijningen said. Cutting-edge vibration sensors can improve the function of next-generation gravity wave detectors. Find the tiniest cosmic wave in the background hum of earth movement.

Future detectors will need to be cooled to low temperatures, but this is no easy task. Once scientists have achieved this goal, following this suggestion to design and develop a low temperature environment will improve sensor performance. In his new position as a research scientist at UCLouvain, Belgium, van Heijningen plans to prototype the sensor design and test its performance on the Einstein telescope.

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