Characterization of a high stability audio band magnetic sensor

Abstract

The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory when it is launched around 2037. It will consist of 3 spacecraft separated by 2.5 million km in a triangular formation, each containing two test masses in free fall, following Earth in its orbit around the Sun. It will constitute an enormous interferometer, capable of detecting low frequency gravitational waves. To be able to do so, it is crucial to be able to keep the test masses in each spacecraft free from undesired accelerations that could be mistaken for gravitational waves. A relevant source of acceleration noise is the presence of magnetic field signals produced by equipment inside the spacecrafts. The aim of this work is to characterize a high stability audio band magnetic sensor capable of detecting these signals with the sensitivity required for the LISA mission