Rare events detected with a bulk acoustic wave high frequency gravitational wave antenna

Goryachev, M., Campbell, W. M., Heng, I. S. , Galliou, S., Ivanov, E. N. and Tobar, M. E. (2021) Rare events detected with a bulk acoustic wave high frequency gravitational wave antenna. Physical Review Letters, 127(7), 071102. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.071102)

Abstract

This work describes the operation of a high frequency gravitational wave detector based on a cryogenic bulk acoustic wave cavity and reports observation of rare events during 153 days of operation over two separate experimental runs (run 1 and run 2). In both run 1 and run 2, two modes were simultaneously monitored. Across both runs, the third overtone of the fast shear mode (3B) operating at 5.506 MHz was monitored; whereas in run 1, the second mode was chosen to be the fifth overtone of the slow shear mode (5C) operating at 8.392 MHz. However, in run 2, the second mode was selected to be closer in frequency to the first mode; and it was chosen to be the third overtone of the slow shear mode (3C) operating at 4.993 MHz. Two strong events were observed as transients responding to energy deposition within acoustic modes of the cavity. The first event occurred during run 1 on 12 May 2019 (UTC), and it was observed in the 5.506 MHz mode; whereas the second mode at 8.392 MHz observed no event. During run 2, a second event occurred on 27 November 2019 (UTC) and was observed by both modes. Timings of the events were checked against available environmental observations as well as data from other detectors. Various possibilities explaining the origins of the events are discussed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Grant No. DP190100071, along with support from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (No. CE170100009) and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (No. CE200100008).
• Keywords: Gravitational wave detection.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Heng, Professor Ik Siong
• Authors: Goryachev, M., Campbell, W. M., Heng, I. S., Galliou, S., Ivanov, E. N., and Tobar, M. E.
• Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy; Q Science > QC Physics
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Research Centre: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Gravitational Research
• Research Group: Institute for Gravitational Research
• Journal Name: Physical Review Letters
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• ISSN: 0031-9007
• ISSN (Online): 1079-7114
• Published Online: 12 August 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 American Physical Society
• First Published: First published in Physical Review Letters 127(7): 071102
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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