MG15 - Talk detail

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Compact optical micro-cavities can be combined with highly stable low-loss mechanical oscillators to yield acceleration sensors of exquisite sensitivities at low frequencies that can be utilized as gravimeters and seismometers. These devices consist solely of monolithic micro- and mini-oscillators with monolithic optics to inject and read out the coherent optical signal, making them very simple and compatible with applications on ground and in space that may open new observation possibilities in Geodesy. Currently, mass transport models requiring satellite-based measurements are severely limited in their spatial and temporal resolutions. Furthermore, observations to accurately map the Earth’s gravity field fluctuations typically require a direct link to GNSS stations, whose direct visibility is not accessible in all environments. Highly compact and cost-effective inertial sensing technologies are currently being developed that will facilitate the operation of constellations of compact spacecraft pairs, thus permitting the observation of short-term and well localized Earth processes, and allowing integration into spaceborne GNSS instruments, which can significantly improve the performance of geodesy, positioning and navigation observations. We have demonstrated displacement sensitivities at levels of 10-16m - 10-13m/√Hz with our optomechanical inertial sensors, enabling acceleration sensitivities in regimes of 10-10-10-9 m/s2 with highly compact and light-weight devices below 10 Hz. We will present the status of our optomechanical inertial sensing technologies and ideas on how to merge these technologies with scientifically relevant geodesy and inertial navigation platforms.

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