PETER: a torsion pendulum facility to study small forces/torques on free falling instrumented masses
Presented by Fabio GARUFI on 2 Mar 2018 from 15:30 to 15:50
Session: Development of Enabling Technologies for Gravitational Wave Detectors

Primary author:
Fabio GARUFI, NA

Co-authors:
Luciano DI FIORE, NA
Rosario DE ROSA, NA

Content:
We will describe realization and tests of a two stage torsion pendulum facility (nicknamed PETER, from Italian PEndolo Traslazionale E Rotazionale, namely translational and Rotational Pendulum) for the measurement of GRS actuation Cross Talks (CT) and its possible evolution. This project started within the ground testing activities for the characterization, before flight, of the Gravitational Reference Sensor (GRS) of LISA-Pathfinder, where it showed results consistent with what observed on flight. The apparatus could easily evolve to a facility to test small forces/torques on free falling instrumented masses, for future next generation space missions.
Here, we will discuss the principle of operation of the double torsion pendulum and the initial goal of the activity, the description of the PETER apparatus, cross -talk measurement technique and results and possible extension to more than 2 DOF