Gravity Gradient Noise from Asteroids

APA

Fedderke, M. (2021). Gravity Gradient Noise from Asteroids. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. https://pirsa.org/21020011

MLA

Fedderke, Michael. Gravity Gradient Noise from Asteroids. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Feb. 05, 2021, https://pirsa.org/21020011

BibTex

          @misc{ scivideos_PIRSA:21020011,
            doi = {10.48660/21020011},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/21020011},
            author = {Fedderke, Michael},
            keywords = {Particle Physics},
            language = {en},
            title = {Gravity Gradient Noise from Asteroids},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics},
            year = {2021},
            month = {feb},
            note = {PIRSA:21020011 see, \url{https://scivideos.org/pirsa/21020011}}
          }
          

Michael Fedderke Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Source Repository PIRSA
Collection

Abstract

The gravitational coupling of nearby massive bodies to test masses in a gravitational wave (GW) detector cannot be shielded, and gives rise to 'gravity gradient noise’ (GGN) in the detector. In this talk, I will discuss how any GW detector using local test masses in the Inner Solar System is subject to GGN from the motion of the field of 10^5 Inner Solar System asteroids, which presents an irreducible noise floor for the detection of GW that rises exponentially at low frequencies. This severely limits prospects for GW detection using local test masses for frequencies below (few) x 10^{-7} Hz. At higher frequencies, I’ll show that the asteroid GGN falls rapidly enough that detection may be possible; however, the incompleteness of existing asteroid catalogs with regard to small bodies makes this an open question around microHz frequencies, and I’ll outline why further study is warranted here. Additionally, I’ll mention some prospects for GW detection in the ~10 nHz-microHz band that could evade this noise source.