空间引力波探测中电荷管理系统的紫外光源应用

Application of ultraviolet light sources in charge management systems for space gravitational wave detection

引力波是物质和能量的剧烈运动和变化所产生的一种物质波,通过探测引力波可以使得人类从另一个角度去观测宇宙.在空间引力波探测的过程中,惯性传感器中的检验质量会受到太空环境中粒子和射线的作用而积累电荷,影响了引力波探测的精度,因此需要对检验质量上的电荷进行控制,即开展电荷管理.在以往的电荷管理系统中应用紫外汞灯和紫外(UV)LED作为光源,取得了不同的效果.本文主要综述了空间引力波探测中电荷管理系统的紫外光源研究进展.汞灯作为第1代系统光源,虽能完成任务,但有着启动慢、功耗高等缺点.UV LED凭借其体积、功耗等方面的优点,逐步成为目前电荷管理系统的光源.近年来,随着紫外微型LED(UV micro-LED)技术的成熟,其较高的外量子效率和良好的可靠性展示出应用于电荷管理系统的潜力,是未来电荷管理系统可选择的紫外光源之一.

Gravitational waves are a kind of matter wave,which is caused by the violent motion and changes of matter and energy.Detecting gravitational waves allows people to observe the universe from a new perspective.In the process of gravitational wave detection,high-energy particles and cosmic rays in space can penetrate the exterior of the spacecraft and reach the surface of the inertial sensor’s test mass(TM),continuously accumulating charges.Once the charge on the TM exceeds a certain threshold,the electrostatic forces between the TM and surrounding conductors generate significant acceleration noise,which will affect the measurement accuracy of the inertial sensors and,consequently,the success of the gravitational wave detection mission.Therefore,controlling the charge on the TM surface,known as charge management,is essential.The most commonly used charge management method is based on the photoelectric effect,using ultraviolet(UV)light to control the potential between the surface of the TM and the surrounding conductors.In previous charge management systems(CMSs),UV mercury lamps and UV light-emitting diodes(LEDs)were used as light sources,achieving varying levels of success.This paper mainly reviews the research progress of UV light sources in CMS for space gravitational wave detection.Mercury lamps,as the first-generation system light sources,can fulfill the mission but have some drawbacks such as slow startup,high power consumption and significant electromagnetic interference.UV LEDs,because of their advantages in size and weight,have gradually become the current light source for CMS.In recent years,with the development of UV micro-LED technology,UV micro-LEDs have achieved higher external quantum efficiency and lower power consumption,demonstrating their potential applications in CMS,and becoming a promising UV light source for future charge management systems.