26 April 2021

Space Science at Droptower SEMINAR TALK

Location: ZARM Bremen - Online seminar
When: 26.4.2021, 17:00 CET - Online

Speaker: Angela D.V. di Virgilo (INFN, Pisa, Italy)

Title: Are top sensitivity Sagnac gyroscopes suitable to fundamental physics, for Earth general relativity and Lorentz violation tests?

Abstract: Precision measurements of the Earth rotation make it possible to investigate fundamental physics, as they contain general relativity terms, such as de Sitter and Lense-Thirring, and can provide unique data to investigate possible Lorentz violations. These measurements require high sensitivity, usually parametrised as the fraction of the average Earth rotation rate; the limit to be reached to study fundamental physics is 1 part in 10^9 and long term continuous operation. Present high sensitivity ring laser gyroscope have already fulfilled those equirements.
The GINGER (Gyroscopes IN General Relativity) project focuses on fundamental physics, using an array of Ring Laser Gyroscopes (RLG). Its prototype — GINGERINO — is a top sensitivity RLG built inside the underground Gran Sasso laboratory, in order to validate the Gran Sasso laboratory for GINGER. Its sensitivity has been carefully investigated with standard statistical means, using 103 days of continuous operation and the available geodesic measurements of the Earth angular rotation rate. A sensitivity of 0.1 frad/s has been demonstrated, with 600s bandwidth at frequency of 40 days, indicating the feasibility of 1 part in 10^{12} of the Earth rotation rate, making it possible for GINGER to test the Lense-Thirring effect on Earth at an accuracy level of 0.1% or even better.