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arXiv · 1611.05560

MHz Gravitational Wave Constraints with Decameter Michelson Interferometers

Aaron S. Chou·Richard Gustafson·Craig Hogan·Brittany Kamai·Ohkyung Kwon·Robert Lanza·Shane L. Larson·Lee McCuller·Stephan S. Meyer·Jonathan Richardson·Chris Stoughton·Raymond Tomlin·Rainer Weiss
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Abstract

A new detector, the Fermilab Holometer, consists of separate yet identical 39-meter Michelson interferometers. Strain sensitivity achieved is better than $10^{-21} /{\sqrt{\rm{Hz}}}$ between 1 to 13 MHz from a 130-hr dataset. This measurement exceeds the sensitivity and frequency range made from previous high frequency gravitational wave experiments by many orders of magnitude. Constraints are placed on a stochastic background at 382 Hz resolution. The 3$\sigma$ upper limit on $\Omega_{\rm{GW}}$, the gravitational wave energy density normalized to the closure density, ranges from $5.6 \times 10^{12}$ at 1 MHz to $8.4 \times 10^{15}$ at 13 MHz. Another result from the same dataset is a search for nearby primordial black hole binaries (PBHB). There are no detectable monochromatic PBHBs in the mass range $0.83$ - $3.5 \times 10^{21}$g between the earth and the moon. Projections for a chirp search with the same dataset increases the mass range to $0.59 - 2.5 \times 10^{25}$g and distances out to Jupiter. This result presents a new method for placing limits on a poorly constrained mass range of primordial black holes. Additionally, solar system searches for PBHBs place limits on their contribution to the total dark matter fraction.

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Aaron S. Chou, Richard Gustafson, Craig Hogan, Brittany Kamai, Ohkyung Kwon, Robert Lanza, Shane L. Larson, Lee McCuller, Stephan S. Meyer, Jonathan Richardson, Chris Stoughton, Raymond Tomlin, Rainer Weiss. 2016-11-17. MHz Gravitational Wave Constraints with Decameter Michelson Interferometers. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.95.063002

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