title: Invited article: advanced drag-free concepts for future space-based interferometers: acceleration noise performance.
abstract: Future drag-free missions for space-based experiments in gravitational physics require a Gravitational Reference Sensor with extremely demanding sensing and disturbance reduction requirements. A configuration with two cubical sensors is the current baseline for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and has reached a high level of maturity. Nevertheless, several promising concepts have been proposed with potential applications beyond LISA and are currently investigated at HEPL, Stanford, and EADS Astrium, Germany. The general motivation is to exploit the possibility of achieving improved disturbance reduction, and ultimately understand how low acceleration noise can be pushed with a realistic design for future mission. In this paper, we discuss disturbance reduction requirements for LISA and beyond, describe four different payload concepts, compare expected strain sensitivities in the "low-frequency" region of the frequency spectrum, dominated by acceleration noise, and ultimately discuss advantages and disadvantages of each of those concepts in achieving disturbance reduction for space-based detectors beyond LISA.
authors: Astrium Satellites, Claude-Dornier-Strasse, Friedrichshafen 88090, Germany.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Gerardi
authors: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Allen
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 23611, USA.
authors: J W
authors: JW
authors: Conklin
authors: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA.
authors: K-X
authors: KX
authors: Sun
authors: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Lomita Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: DeBra
authors: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Lomita Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Buchman
authors: Astrium Satellites, Claude-Dornier-Strasse, Friedrichshafen 88090, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gath
authors: Institute of Flight Mechanics and Control, 7a Pfaffenwaldring, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart 70569, Germany.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Fichter
authors: Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Lomita Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors: R L
authors: RL
authors: Byer
authors: Astrium Satellites, Claude-Dornier-Strasse, Friedrichshafen 88090, Germany.
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Johann