Optimized radius of curvature tuning for the virgo core optics

Abstract

The advanced gravitational wave interferometers are reaching unprecedented levels of strain sensitivity, that is, of accessible volume of Universe, in search for the most elusive cosmic sources. In this effort, the optical design of these detectors places increasingly stringent requirements on the components. Thermal effects, related to the fraction of laser beam power absorbed in the optics, and deviation of components from specifications, intrinsic to the state of art of the production processes, need to be addressed to recover the ideal operation of the detector. Ring heaters (RHs) are thermally coupled actuators conceived to precisely tune the radius of curvature (RoC) of the highly reflective surface of mirrors. The actuator concept has been improved and properly rescaled to design dedicated heaters for different mirrors of the Advanced Virgo detector (namely test masses, power and signal recycling mirrors, filter cavity mirrors). This paper describes the design features and performances of the RHs installed around the test masses of Advanced Virgo, highlighting the improvements of this design with respect to previous actuators. In this case, the dynamic actuation range reaches 100 m over a static RoC value of 1500 m, with the deformation largely dominated by the spherical component. The obtained actuation gain is = − 0.93 m W−1, with a typical settling time of about 6 h.