Automatic Alignment for the first science run of the Virgo interferometer

F. Acernese , M. Alshourbagy , F. Antonucci , S. Aoudia (1) , K.G. Arun (2) , P. Astone , G. Ballardin , F. Barone , M. Barsuglia (3) , Th.S. Bauer , S. Bigotta , S. Birindelli (1) , M.A. Bizouard (2) , C. Boccara (4) , François Bondu (1) , L. Bonelli , L. Bosi , S. Braccini , C. Bradaschia , A. Brillet (1) , V. Brisson (2) , H.J. Bulten , D. Buskulic (5) , G. Cagnoli , E. Calloni , E. Campagna , B. Canuel , F. Carbognani , L. Carbone , F. Cavalier (2) , R. Cavalieri , G. Cella , E. Cesarini , E. Chassande-Mottin (6) , S. Chatterji , F. Cleva (1) , E. Coccia , J. Colas , M. Colombini , C. Corda , A. Corsi , J.-P. Coulon (1) , E. Cuoco , S. D&rsquoantonio , A. Dari , V. Dattilo , M. Davier (2) , R. de Rosa , M. del Prete , L. Di Fiore , A. Di Lieto , M. Di Paolo Emilio , A. Di Virgilio , V. Fafone , I. Ferrante , F. Fidecaro , I. Fiori , R. Flaminio (7) , J.-D. Fournier (1) , S. Frasca , F. Frasconi , L. Gammaitoni , F. Garufi , E. Genin , A. Gennai , A. Giazotto , M. Granata (8) , V. Granata (5) , C. Greverie (1) , G. Guidi , H. Heitmann (1) , P. Hello (2) , S. Hild , D. Huet , P. La Penna , M. Laval (1) , N. Leroy (2) , N. Letendre (5) , M. Lorenzini , V. Loriette (4) , G. Losurdo , J.-M. Mackowski (7) , E. Majorana , C.N. Man (1) , M. Mantovani , F. Marchesoni , F. Marion (5) , J. Marque , F. Martelli , A. Masserot (5) , F. Menzinger , Christine Michel (7) , L. Milano , Y. Minenkov , M. Mohan , Julien Moreau (9) , N. Morgado (7) , S. Mosca , B. Mours (5) , I. Neri , F. Nocera , G. Pagliaroli , C. Palomba , F. Paoletti , S. Pardi , A. Pasqualetti , R. Passaquieti , D. Passuello , G. Persichetti , F. Piergiovanni , L. Pinard (7) , R. Poggiani , M. Punturo , P. Puppo , O. Rabaste (8) , P. Rapagnani , T. Regimbau (1) , F. Ricci , A. Rocchi , L. Rolland (2, 5) , R. Romano , P. Ruggi , B. Sassolas (7) , D. Sentenac , B.L. Swinkels , R. Terenzi , A. Toncelli , M. Tonelli , E. Tournefier (5) , F. Travasso , J. Trummer (2) , G. Vajente , J.F.J. van den Brand , S. van Der Putten , D. Verkindt (5) , F. Vetrano , A. Viceré , J.-Y. Vinet (1) , H. Vocca , M. Was (2) , M. Yvert (5)

1 ARTEMIS - Astrophysique Relativiste Théories Expériences Métrologie Instrumentation Signaux
2 LAL - Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire
3 APC - Cosmologie
4 ESPCI Paris - Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris
5 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
6 APC-Gravitation - APC - Gravitation
7 LMA - Laboratoire des matériaux avancés
8 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
9 Virgo

During the past few years a network of large-scale laser interferometers, including the Virgo detector, has been developed with the aim of detecting gravitational waves. To properly operate the detectors, the longitudinal and angular positions of the suspended detector test masses, the interferometer mirrors, must be kept within a small range from the operating point. The design of the Virgo angular control system, called Automatic Alignment is based on a modified version of the Anderson-Giordano technique, a wave-front sensing scheme which uses the modulation-demodulation technique. This paper will present the theoretical background of the Virgo Automatic Alignment system, the implementation issues and the performances observed during the first Virgo science run (VSR1). A total RMS of 4 × 10−2 to 3 × 10−3 μrad for all angular degrees of freedom has been achieved.

Mots clés: Gravitational wave detectors; Interferometry; Control systems; Angular

Domaines: Relativité Générale et Cosmologie Quantique [gr-qc]

F. Acernese, M. Alshourbagy, F. Antonucci, S. Aoudia, K.G. Arun, et al.. Automatic Alignment for the first science run of the Virgo interferometer. Astroparticle Physics, 2010, 33, pp.131-139. ⟨10.1016/j.astropartphys.2010.01.010⟩. ⟨in2p3-00462573⟩