MRI: Acquisition of a Cryogenic Testbed for Advancing Gravitational-Wave Observation Technology

MRI：购买低温试验台以推进引力波观测技术

• 批准号: 2019184
• 负责人: Joshua Smith
• 金额: $ 15.99万
• 依托单位: CSU Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2019184&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Acquisition; Cryogenic; Testbed; Advancing

This award supports research in relativity and relativistic astrophysics and it addresses the priority areas of NSF's "Windows on the Universe" Big Idea. By discovering gravitational waves from merging black holes and neutron stars, the NSF-funded Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has opened a new window on the universe. But today’s observatories are only just sensitive enough to probe the gravitational-wave sky. LIGO Voyager, a potential upgrade to maximize the potential of the LIGO facilities, and Cosmic Explorer, a 40km baseline next-generation US concept, would greatly expand humanity’s access to the gravitational universe and observe all star-sized black hole mergers, by leveraging advanced technologies, chiefly crystalline silicon optics operated at very low (cryogenic) temperatures. Key challenges for the cryogenic operation of these observatories include: fabricating large, pure silicon crystals with excellent optical properties; identifying high-quality optical coatings; and noiselessly holding the optics to stable low temperatures. This project will support the acquisition of a flexible cryogenic testbed to enable researchers at California State University Fullerton to address some of these challenges, particularly those regarding optical properties of the silicon and coatings and temperature and vibration control. This acquisition will provide opportunities for hands-on experience with cryogenic hardware to a generation of students at primarily undergraduate and Hispanic-serving institutions: CSUF and nearby community colleges (through established research programs). Scientific results made possible by this acquisition will expand the discovery space of gravitational-wave science by making essential contributions to the design of Cosmic Explorer while informing potential upgrades to current facilities.LIGO Voyager and Cosmic Explorer would peer deep into the gravitational universe reaching observation rates of tens per hour, signal-to-noise ratios in the thousands, and observing all neutron star and stellar-mass black hole mergers. The use of cryogenic crystalline silicon optics and suspensions to reduce noise is a cornerstone for Voyager and Cosmic Explorer. Silicon has zero thermal expansion at 123 K, eliminating thermoelastic noise and thermal aberrations from light absorption, and the lower temperature reduces thermal vibrations. Key challenges for the cryogenic operation of these optics include: fabricating large, pure silicon crystals with low optical scattering and absorption; identifying optical coatings with excellent optical and material properties; and noiselessly holding the optics to target temperatures. This project will support the acquisition of a flexible cryogenic testbed to enable California State University Fullerton to address these challenges, particularly optical characterization and temperature and vibration control of coated silicon optics. The acquisition will enable research on the material and optical properties of crystalline silicon optics, crystalline AlGaAs/GaAs coatings, and amorphous silicon and silica coatings, each of interest to the optics and materials communities. It will provide opportunities for hands-on experience with cryogenic hardware to a generation of students at primarily undergraduate and Hispanic-serving institutions: CSUF and nearby community colleges (through established research programs). Scientific results made possible by this acquisition will expand the discovery space of gravitational-wave science by making essential contributions to the design of Cosmic Explorer while informing potential upgrades to current facilities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该奖项支持相对论和相对论天体物理学的研究，并介绍了NSF“宇宙上的Windows”的优先领域。通过发现合并黑洞和中子星的引力波，NSF资助的激光干涉仪重力波天文台（Ligo）为宇宙打开了一个新窗口。但是，今天的观察结果只是足够敏感的，可以探究重力波的天空。 LIGO Voyager, a potential upgrade to maximize the potential of the LIGO facilities, and Cosmic Explorer, a 40km baseline next-generation US concept, would great expand humanity’s access to the gravitational universe and observe all star-sized black hole mergers, by leveraging advanced technologies, chiefly crystalline silicon optics operated at very low (cryogenic) temperatures.这些观察者的低温操作的主要挑战包括：制造具有出色光学特性的大型纯硅晶体；识别高质量的光学涂层；并且无声地将光学元件保持在稳定的低温下。该项目将支持获得灵活的低温测试床，以使加州州立大学富勒顿的研究人员能够应对其中一些挑战，尤其是硅，涂料，涂料以及温度和振动控制的挑战。此次收购将为小学本科和西班牙裔服务机构的一代学生提供动手经验的机会：CSUF和近乎社区大学（通过既定的研究计划）。 Scientific results made possible by this acquisition will expand the discovery space of gravitational-wave science by making essential contributions to the design of Cosmic Explorer while informing potential upgrades to current facilities.LIGO Voyager and Cosmic Explorer would peer deep into the gravitational universe reaching observation rates of tens per hour, signal-to-noise ratios in the thousands, and observe all neutral star and stellar-mass black hole mergers.低温结晶硅光学和悬浮液来减少噪声是Voyager和Cosmic Explorer的基石。硅在123 K处的热膨胀为零，消除了光滥用的热弹性噪声和热像差，较低的温度减少了热振动。这些光学的低温操作的主要挑战包括：制造具有低光学散射和痛苦的大型纯硅晶体；识别具有出色光学和材料特性的光学涂层；并且无声地将光学固定在靶向温度下。该项目将支持获得灵活的低温测试床，以使加利福尼亚州立大学富勒顿能够应对这些挑战，尤其是光学表征，温度以及涂层硅光学的振动控制。此次收购将对晶体硅光学元件的材料和光学性质进行研究，晶体藻类/GAAS涂料以及无定形硅和二氧化硅涂料都对光学和材料群落感兴趣。它将为小学本科和西班牙裔服务机构的一代学生提供动手经验的机会：CSUF和附近的社区大学（通过既定的研究计划）。这次收购使科学的结果成为可能，将通过为宇宙探险者的设计做出基本贡献，同时为当前设施的潜在升级提供了重要的贡献，从而扩大了重力波科学的发现空间。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的智力和更广泛影响的评估来通过评估来获得支持的。

项目成果

Imaging scatterometer for observing in situ changes to optical coatings during air annealing

成像散射仪用于观察空气退火过程中光学涂层的原位变化

• DOI: 10.1364/ao.476979
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Applied Optics
• 影响因子: 1.9
• 作者: Rezac, Michael;Martinez, Daniel;Gleckl, Amy;Smith, Joshua R.
• 通讯作者: Smith, Joshua R.