Impact of infrasound atmospheric noise on gravity detectors used for astrophysical and geophysical applications

TL;DR

This paper investigates how atmospheric infrasound noise affects gravity detectors used in astrophysics and geophysics, considering building effects and underground placement for noise mitigation, with new measurements and implications for future detector design.

Contribution

It extends previous analyses by including building effects and underground placement, providing new sound spectra and correlation data for gravity noise mitigation.

Findings

Building housing influences atmospheric gravity noise levels.

Underground placement reduces local gravity noise.

New sound spectra and correlations improve understanding of atmospheric noise.

Abstract

Density changes in the atmosphere produce a fluctuating gravity field that affect gravity strainmeters or gravity gradiometers used for the detection of gravitational-waves and for geophysical applications. This work addresses the impact of the atmospheric local gravity noise on such detectors, extending previous analyses. In particular we present the effect introduced by the building housing the detectors, and we analyze local gravity-noise suppression by constructing the detector underground. We present also new sound spectra and correlations measurements. The results obtained are important for the design of future gravitational-wave detectors and gravity gradiometers used to detect prompt gravity perturbations from earthquakes.