Summary of the results of the LISA-Pathfinder Test Mass release

Abstract

The challenging goal of LISA-Pathfinder in terms of maximum non-gravitational forces applied on the test mass poses tight constraints on the design of the Gravitational Reference Sensor. In particular, large gaps (3-4 mm) must exist between the test mass and its housing and any system there located must be either gold coated or made of a gold-based material. As a consequence, a significant adhesion may arise between the test mass and the mechanism designed to cage it during the spacecraft launch and to release it to free-fall. The criticality of the latter phase is enhanced by the control force authority exerted to the test mass by the surrounding electrodes. Such a force is limited by the large gaps (order of μN). Since the expected adhesion force between the test mass and its holding devices is much larger than the force authority, a dynamic release must be realized. However, following this procedure adhesion converts into test mass velocity, which can be controlled by the capacitive force only if it is smaller than 5 μm/s. At the University of Trento (Italy) the Transferred Momentum Measurement Facility has been designed and developed to measure the impulse produced by metallic adhesion upon quick rupture, in representative conditions of the LISA-Pathfinder test mass release to free-fall. Large sets of data have been collected and a mathematical model of the in-flight release dynamics has been developed, in order to estimate the test mass release velocity. A summary of the results is presented, together with an overview of the recent developments and a prediction of the in-flight performance.