First Tests of a Newtonian Calibrator on an Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detector

Understand

The ongoing improvements of the advanced gravitational wave (GW) detectors are setting challenging requirements on instrument calibration.

• We report tests of a calibration technique, based on the well-known gravitation force, which has been applied for the first time on a large interferometer.
• The results obtained with Advanced Virgo are in good agreement with the predictions and with the usual calibration method.
• This technique is expected to lead to accurate absolute calibration at the sub-percent level in the coming years, matching the needs of the blooming GW science.