Precision Alignment of the LIGO 4km Arms Using The Dual-Frequency Differential Global Positioning System (GPS), Rev. D

Document #:

LIGO-P000006-x0

Document type:

P - Publications

Abstract:

The alignment of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO using the Global Positioning System (GPS) is described. The LIGO project is designed to detect gravitational waves from astrophysical sources by laser interferometry. There are two sites separated by 3002 km that will be operated in coincidence. At each site, laser beams propagate in two orthogonal 4 km long evacuated beam lines 1.2 meters in diameter. The subject of this article is the alignment of the 16 km of beam tubes using dual-frequency differential GPS. A maximum deviation from straightness in inertial space of 5 mm rms and an orthogonality between arm pairs of better than 5 microradians is reported. Analysis of the as-built alignment data allows a determination of the geodetic coordinates for the vertices and the arm orientations at both sites. From this information, the baseline distance between the vertices of the Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA sites has been determined to be 3001.8 km.

Files in Document:

• P000006-D.pdf (811.7 kB)

Other Files:

• P000006-00.pdf (3.1 MB)
• P000006-A.pdf (3.0 MB)
• P000006-B.pdf (3.3 MB)
• P000006-C.pdf (3.3 MB)

Topics:

• Document Migration from the old DCC

Authors:

• Bill Althouse
• Steve Hand
• Larry Jones
• Albert Lazzarini
• Rainer Weiss

Keywords:

Alignment GPS Publication_(Various_Publications)

Notes and Changes:

Migrated document information from the old DCC:
- Full document number: LIGO-P000006-D-E
- Author(s): Bill Althouse; Steve Hand; Larry Jones; Albert Lazzarini; Rai Weiss
- Document date: 2001-07-01
- Document received date: 2002-09-03
- Document entry date: 2002-09-03
- Citation reference: Review of Scientific Instruments - Volume 72, Number 7 - July 2001

Rev P000006-C-E:
- Full document number: LIGO-P000006-C-E
- Author(s): Bill Althouse; Steve Hand; Larry Jones; Albert Lazzarini; Rai Weiss
- Document date: 2001-05-11
- Document received date: 2001-05-30
- Document entry date: 2001-05-30
- Publcation info: Rev. Sci. Instrum., 72, 3086-3094 (2001)
- Publication author(s): Althouse, W.E., Hand, S.D., Jones, L.K., Lazzarini, A., and Weiss, R.

Rev P000006-B-E:
- Full document number: LIGO-P000006-B-E
- Author(s): Bill Althouse; Steve Hand; Larry Jones; Albert Lazzarini; Rai Weiss
- Document date: 2001-04-24
- Document received date: 2001-04-25
- Document entry date: 2001-04-25

Rev P000006-A-E:
- Full document number: LIGO-P000006-A-E
- Author(s): Bill Althouse; Steve Hand; Larry Jones; Albert Lazzarini; Rai Weiss
- Document date: 2001-02-06
- Document received date: 2001-02-06
- Document entry date: 2001-02-06

Rev P000006-00-E:
- Full document number: LIGO-P000006-00-E
- Author(s): Bill Althouse; Steve Hand; Larry Jones; Albert Lazzarini; Rai Weiss
- Document date: 2000-08-30
- Document received date: 2000-08-30
- Document entry date: 2000-08-30
- Citation reference: Intended for publication in Review of Scientific Instruments

Referenced by:

• LIGO-G1801900-v5: Alignment of the LIGO Detector: International Workshop on Accelerator Alignment  2018 at FNAL

Journal References:

Published in Rev. Sci. Instrum. vol. 72 pg. 3086-3094.