Analyses of Laser Propagation Noises for TianQin Gravitational Wave Observatory Based on the Global Magnetosphere MHD Simulations

Abstract

TianQin is a proposed space-borne gravitational wave (GW) observatory composed of three identical satellites orbiting around the geocenter with a radius of 10 5 km. It aims at detecting GWs in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz -1 Hz. The detection of GW relies on the high precision measurement of optical path length at 10 −12 m level. The dispersion of space plasma can lead to the optical path difference (OPD, ∆l) along the propagation of laser beams between any pair of satellites. Here, we study the OPD noises for TianQin. The Space Weather Modeling Framework is used to simulate the interaction between the Earth magnetosphere and solar wind. From the simulations, we extract the magnetic field and plasma parameters on the orbits of TianQin at four relative positions of the satellite constellation in the Earth magnetosphere. We calculate the OPD noise for single link, Michelson combination, and Time-Delay Interferometry (TDI) combinations (α and X). For single link and Michelson interferometer, the maxima of |∆l| are on the order of 1 pm. For the TDI combinations, these can be suppressed to about 0.004 and 0.008 pm for α and X. The OPD noise of the Michelson combination is colored in the concerned frequency range; while the ones for the TDI combinations are approximately white. Furthermore, we calculate the ratio of the equivalent strain of the OPD noise to that of TQ, and find that the OPD noises for the TDI combinations can be neglected in the most sensitive frequency range of f 0.1 Hz.

Sensitivity limits of space-based interferometric gravitational wave observatories from the solar wind

“…It is clearly a noise source which merits continued attention by the designers of LISA and other future space-based interferometers such as TianQin, Taiji, etc. Indeed, a recent analysis of the effect for the proposed geocentric TianQin mission made using modern MHD simulations of the near-Earth solar plasma found qualitatively similar results -the sensitivity of TianQin to gravitational waves will not be limited by solar plasma effects, but their contribution to the overall noise budget is not negligible [15]. For second-generation space missions with increased displacement sensitivity, this may be a noise source that requires mitigation of some kind.…”