Related papers: MICROSCOPE instrument description and validation
Thermal convection based micro-electromechanical accelerometer is a relatively new kind of acceleration sensor that does not require a solid proof mass, yielding unique benefits like high shock survival rating, low production cost, and…
We show that a magnetically levitated microsphere in high vacuum can be used as an accelerometer by comparing its response to that of a commercially available geophone. This system shows great promise for ultrahigh acceleration…
The Drag-Free and Attitude Control System is a central element of LISA technology, ensuring the very high dynamic stability of spacecraft and test masses required in order to reach the sensitivity that gravitational wave astronomy in space…
Acceleration sensors built into smartphones, i-pads or tablets can conveniently be used in the Physics laboratory. By virtue of the equivalence principle, a sensor fixed in a non-inertial reference frame cannot discern between a…
A drift mode accelerometer is a precision device that overcomes the much of the acceleration noise and readout dynamic range limitations of traditional electrostatic accelerometers. It has the potential of achieving acceleration noise…
According to the Weak Equivalence Principle, all bodies should fall at the same rate in a gravitational field. The MICROSCOPE satellite, launched in April 2016, aims to test its validity at the $10^{-15}$ precision level, by measuring the…
This article presents the design and assembly of a novel magnetically actuated endoscopic laser scanner device. The device is designed to perform 2D position control and high speed scanning of a fiber-based laser for operation in narrow…
Silicon microstrip detectors are widely used in experiments for space astronomy. Before the detector is assembled, extensive characterization of the silicon microstrip sensors is indispensable and challenging. This work electrically…
Testing the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) to a precision of $10^{-15}$ requires a quantity of data that give enough confidence on the final result: ideally, the longer the measurement the better the rejection of thestatistical noise. The…
The demand from industry to produce accurate acceleration measurements down to ever lower frequencies and with ever lower noise is increasing. Different vibration transducers are used today for many different purposes within this area, like…
We report on the electrically driven rotation of $2.4~\mu$m-radius, optically levitated dielectric microspheres. Electric fields are used to apply torques to a microsphere's permanent electric dipole moment, while angular displacement is…
Gravimeters are devices which measure changes in the value of the gravitational acceleration, \textit{g}. This information is used to infer changes in density under the ground allowing the detection of subsurface voids; mineral, oil and gas…
The speed of integrated circuits is ultimately limited by the mobility of electrons or holes, which depend on the effective mass in a semiconductor. Here, building on an analogy with electromagnetic metamaterials and transformation optics,…
Smartphones equipped with sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers offer valuable opportunities for physics education, allowing students to measure motion using their own devices. However, commonly used applications…
Diagnostic activities, such as ultrasound scans and palpation, are relatively low-cost. They play a crucial role in the early detection of health problems and in assessing their progression. However, they are also error-prone activities,…
Microplasmas are operated around atmospheric pressure exhibiting pronounced non-equilibrium characteristics, i.e. they possess energetic electrons while ions and neutrals remain cold. They have gained significant interest due to their…
Non-sensitive axis feedback control is crucial for cross-coupling noise suppression in the application of full-maglev vertical superconducting gravity instruments. This paper introduces the non-sensitive axis feedback control of the test…
We show that an interferometer moving at a relativistic speed relative to a point source of light offers a sensitive probe of acceleration. Such an accelerometer contains no moving parts, and is thus more robust than conventional…
The Planet Hunting and Asteroseismology Explorer Spectrophotometer, PHASES, is a concept for a space-borne instrument to obtain flux calibrated spectra and measure micro-magnitude photometric variations of nearby stars. The science drivers…
A review of recent accelerometry experiments points to the need for a careful consideration of the question of where, exactly, the accelerometer sensor itself is located within the device that hosts the services required for its operation.…