Passive Newtonian noise suppression for gravitational-wave observatories based on shaping of the local topography

Abstract

In this article we propose a new method for reducing Newtonian noise in laser-interferometric gravitational-wave detectors located on the Earth's surface. We show that by excavating meter-scale recesses in the ground around the main test masses of a gravitational wave detector it is possible to reduce the coupling of Rayleigh wave driven seismic disturbances to test mass displacement. A discussion of the optimal recess shape is given and we use finite element simulations to derive the scaling of the Newtonian noise suppression with the parameters of the recess as well as the frequency of the seismic excitation. Considering an interferometer similar to an Advance LIGO configuration, our simulations indicate a frequency dependent Newtonian noise suppression factor of 2 to 4 in the relevant frequency range for a recesses of 4m depth and a width and length of 11m and 5m, respectively. Though a retrofit to existing interferometers seems not impossible, the application of our concept to future infrastructures seems to provide a better benefit/cost ratio and therefore a higher feasibility.

arXiv comment12 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (7)

• Sensitivity Studies for Third-Generation Gravitational Wave Observatories
• Interferometer design of the KAGRA gravitational wave detector
• Seismic gravity-gradient noise in interferometric gravitational-wave detectors
• Subtraction of Newtonian Noise Using Optimized Sensor Arrays
• Calibration and sensitivity of the Virgo detector during its second science run
• Simulation of underground gravity gradients from stochastic seismic fields
• Seismic topographic scattering in the context of GW detector site selection

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Low Frequency Gravitational Wave Detection With Ground Based Atom Interferometer Arrays
• Gravitational-wave physics with Cosmic Explorer: limits to low-frequency sensitivity
• Terrestrial Gravity Fluctuations
• Newtonian-noise cancellation in full-tensor gravitational-wave detectors
• Prospects for gravitational-wave polarization test from compact binary mergers with future ground-based detectors
• Observation of a potential future sensitivity limitation from ground motion at LIGO Hanford
• A lower limit for Newtonian-noise models of the Einstein Telescope
• Characterization of the seismic field at Virgo and improved estimates of Newtonian-noise suppression by recesses
• Impact of correlated seismic and correlated Newtonian noise on the Einstein Telescope