Mechanical quality of GEO 600 test masses

doi:10.1088/0264-9381/21/5/105

Mechanical quality factor measurements of monolithically suspended fused silica test masses of the GEO 600 gravitational wave detector

J R Smith et al 2004 Class. Quantum Grav. 21 S1091-S1098 doi: 10.1088/0264-9381/21/5/105

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J R Smith¹, G Cagnoli², D R M Crooks², M M Fejer³, S Goßler¹, H Lück¹, S Rowan^2,3, J Hough² and K Danzmann¹
¹ Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute) and University of Hannover, Callinstr. 38, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
² Institute for Gravitational Research, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
³ Edward L Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4088, USA
E-mail: jrsmith@aei.mpg.de

Abstract. Internal thermal noise is expected to be a limiting noise source in the most sensitive frequency band of the GEO 600 gravitational wave detector. Because thermal noise is directly related to energy dissipation, care has been taken to construct test mass suspensions from low-dissipation materials and to eliminate inter-material rubbing where possible. Recently, the GEO 600 team finished the installation of triple-pendulum suspensions for the optics of the Michelson interferometer. Each of these triple pendulums incorporates a monolithic fused silica pendulum as the lowest stage. We have made internal mode quality factor measurements of three monolithically suspended test masses. Using these measurements we estimate of the level of internal thermal noise in the GEO 600 interferometer.

PACS numbers: 04.80.Nn, 95.55.Ym, 62.40.+i

Print publication: Issue 5 (7 March 2004)
Received 31 August 2003
Published 12 February 2004

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Mechanical quality factor measurements of monolithically suspended fused silica test masses of the GEO 600 gravitational wave detector

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