LISA Pathfinder. (arXiv:1903.08924v1 [astro-ph.IM]) – Renfrewshire Astronomical Society

LISA Pathfinder. (arXiv:1903.08924v1 [astro-ph.IM])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Armano_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Michele Armano</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Audley_H/0/1/0/all/0/1">Heather Audley</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Baird_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jonathon Baird</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Binetruy_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">Pierre Binetruy</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Born_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Michael Born</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bortoluzzi_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Daniele Bortoluzzi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Castelli_E/0/1/0/all/0/1">Eleanora Castelli</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cavalleri_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Antonella Cavalleri</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cesarini_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Andrea Cesarini</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cruise_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Mike Cruise</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Danzmann_K/0/1/0/all/0/1">Karsten Danzmann</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Silva_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Marcus de Deus Silva</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Diepholz_I/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ingo Diepholz</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Dixon_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">George Dixon</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Dolesi_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Rita Dolesi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Ferraioli_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Luigi Ferraioli</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Ferroni_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">Valerio Ferroni</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fitzsimons_E/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ewan Fitzsimons</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Freschi_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Mario Freschi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Gesa_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Luis Gesa</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Gibert_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ferran Gibert</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Giardini_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Domenico Giardini</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Giusteri_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Roberta Giusteri</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Grimani_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">Catia Grimani</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Grzymisch_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jonathan Grzymisch</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Harrison_I/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ian Harrison</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Heinzel_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">Gerhard Heinzel</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hewitson_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Martin Hewitson</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hollington_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Daniel Hollington</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hoyland_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">David Hoyland</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hueller_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Mauro Hueller</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Inchauspe_H/0/1/0/all/0/1">Henri Inchauspe</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Jennrich_O/0/1/0/all/0/1">Oliver Jennrich</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Jetzer_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">Philippe Jetzer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Karnesis_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Nikolaos Karnesis</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kaune_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">Brigitte Kaune</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Korsakova_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Natalia Korsakova</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Killow_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">Christian J Killow</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lobo_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Alberto Lobo</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lloro_I/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ivan Lloro</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Liu_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Li Liu</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lopez_Zaragoza_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Juan-Pedro Lopez-Zaragoza</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Maarschalkerweerd_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Rolf Maarschalkerweerd</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Mance_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Davor Mance</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Meshksar_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Neda Meshksar</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">V Martın</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_Polo_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L Martin-Polo</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martino_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Joseph Martino</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_Porqueras_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">Fernando Martin-Porqueras</a>, et al. (29 additional authors not shown)

Since the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the observation of
gravitational waves, it is fair to say that the epoch of gravitational wave
astronomy (GWs) has begun. However, a number of interesting sources of GWs can
only be observed from space. To demonstrate the feasibility of the Laser
Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a future gravitational wave observatory in
space, the LISA Pathfinder satellite was launched on December, 3rd 2015.
Measurements of the spurious forces accelerating an otherwise free-falling test
mass, and detailed investigations of the individual subsystems needed to
achieve the free-fall, have been conducted throughout the mission. This
overview article starts with the purpose and aim of the mission, explains
satellite hardware and mission operations and ends with a summary of selected
important results and an outlook towards LISA. From the LISA Pathfinder
experience, we can conclude that the proposed LISA mission is feasible.

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