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Performance Of An Inertially Coupled, 3-Mode Gravitational-Wave Antenna Prototype, Linda E. Marchese, Mark F. Bocko, Guizhen Zhang, Munawar Karim

Physics Faculty/Staff Publications

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 …