Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1994

Keywords

Resonant-Mass, Radiation, Detectors

Abstract

A prototype three‐mode gravitational wave antenna which employs a two‐mode torsional transducer has been constructed and tested. For the torsional transducer the coupling from one stage to the next is via inertial forces, whereas in a conventional transducer the stage‐to‐stage coupling is proportional to the relative displacements via the springs. Experiments with our antenna‐torsional transducer prototype demonstrate a maximum antenna bandwidth of 260 Hz (29% of the antenna resonant frequency of 900 Hz) and a mechanical amplification factor of 40. A mathematical model for the three‐mode antenna has been developed and predictions of the system transfer functions and transient response are in close agreement with the measurements. Through the optimization of the transducer parameters we find that maximum fractional antenna bandwidths near 30% may be simultaneously achieved with mechanical amplification factors of 100 or more. Furthermore, the torsional transducer has a larger mechanical gain‐antenna bandwidth product than a linear transducer with similar masses.

DOI

10.1063/1.1145208

Comments

© 1994, American Institute of Physics. Original publication is available at http://link.aip.org/link/doi/10.1063/1.1145208

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