Inflight magnetic characterization of the test masses onboard LISA Pathfinder

Abstract

LISA Pathfinder is a science and technology demonstrator of the European Space Agency within the framework of its LISA mission, the latter aiming to be the first space-borne gravitational wave observatory. The payload of LISA Pathfinder is the so-called LISA Technology Package, which is designed to measure relative accelerations between two test masses in nominal free fall. The diagnostics subsystem consists of several modules, one of which is the magnetic diagnostics unit. Its main function is the assessment of the differential acceleration noise between the test masses due to magnetic effects. This subsystem is composed of two onboard coils intended to produce controlled magnetic fields at the location of the test masses. These magnetic fields couple with the remanent magnetic moment and susceptibility and produce forces and torques on the test masses. These, in turn, produce kinematic excursions of the test masses which are sensed by the onboard interferometer. We prove that adequately processing these excursions, the magnetic properties of the test masses can be estimated using classical multi-parameter estimation techniques. Moreover, we show that special processing procedures to minimize the effect of the multi channel cross-talks are needed. Finally, we demonstrate that the quality of our estimates is frequency dependent. We also suggest that using a multiple frequency experiment the global estimate can be obtained in such a way that the results of the magnetic experiment are more reliable. Finally, using our procedure we compute the the contribution of the magnetic noise to the total proof-mass acceleration noise.