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LISA test-mass charging process due to cosmic-ray nuclei and electrons

C Grimani1, H Vocca2, G Bagni1, L Marconi3, R Stanga4, F Vetrano1, A Viceré1, P Amico2, L Gammaitoni2 and F Marchesoni5

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Solar energetic particles and galactic cosmic rays with energies larger than 100 MeV cause progressive charging of the LISA experiment test masses. Consequently, Coulomb forces occur between the test masses and the surrounding conducting surfaces generating spurious signals that might be mistaken for gravitational wave signals. We have parametrized the energy spectra of galactic cosmic-ray nuclei and electrons near the LISA orbit in order to evaluate their role in the test-mass charging relative to the most abundant proton component. This work has been carried out using the FLUKA Monte Carlo program.


PACS

04.80.-y Experimental studies of gravity

96.50.Vg Energetic particles

96.50.sb Composition, energy spectra and interactions

98.70.Sa Cosmic rays (including sources, origin, acceleration, and interactions)

04.30.-w Gravitational waves

MSC

85A05 Galactic and stellar dynamics

83C35 Gravitational waves

Subjects

Gravitation and cosmology

Astrophysics and astroparticles

Dates

Issue 10 (21 May 2005)

Received 28 October 2004, in final form 6 January 2005

Published 26 April 2005



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