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Mechanical and Thermal Design and Qualification of an Atom Interferometer Sounding Rocket Payload

Jens Große, Stephan Seidel, Markus Krutzik, Thijs Wendrich, Andreas Stamminger

Published Sep 1, 2015• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The MAIUS-1 experiment is a pathfinder quantum optics experiment about to fly on a VSB-30 sounding rocket in November 2015. The scientific objective of the mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a Bose-Einstein Condensate and performing atom interferometry aboard a sounding rocket with Rubidium 87atoms. This paper will summarize the thermal and mechanical design of the payload and its (sub)systems. Moreover the qualification procedures and the results of the qualification test will be presented.

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•Sep 1, 2017•0 citations

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The QUANTUS consortium started activities to perform atom interferometry on a sounding rocket in the year 2011. Three sounding rocket missions (MAIUS-1 to MAIUS-3) have been planned to demonstrate BoseEinstein condensation and atom interferometry with rubidium and potassium atoms. Two different payloads MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B have been designed qualified and integrated in the time frame from 2011 until 2020. The MAIUS-A scientific payload is capable of performing single species experiment with rubidium only and was used as a technology demonstrator in the MAIUS-1 mission. The MAIUS-1 mission was conducted in fall 2016. On the 23rd of January 2017 the payload MAIUS-A was launched on a VSB-30 sounding rocket. The payload created the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and performed atom interferometry aboard a sounding rocket with rubidium 87 atoms [Becker 2018]. Its successor MAIUS-B will be able to perform simultaneous experiments with Bose-Einstein Condensates of Rubidium-87 and Potassium-41 atoms. In order to achieve this ambitious scientific goal the experiments use various sensitive instruments imposing strong requirements on the thermal and mechanical design of the scientific payload. This paper gives a summary of the MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B scientific payload design with a focus on the thermal control system. Furthermore, the design of the GSE and the water cooling umbilicals is presented. The paper closes with an outlook on future atom interferometry payloads on sounding rockets and beyond.

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We report on the design and the construction of a sounding rocket payload capable of performing atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates of $^{41}$K and $^{87}$Rb. The apparatus is designed to be launched in two consecutive missions with a VSB-30 sounding rocket and is qualified to withstand the expected vibrational loads of 1.8 g root-mean-square in a frequency range between 20 - 2000 Hz and the expected static loads during ascent and re-entry of 25 g. We present a modular design of the scientific payload comprising a physics package, a laser system, an electronics system and a battery module. A dedicated on-board software provides a largely automated process of predefined experiments. To operate the payload safely in laboratory and flight mode, a thermal control system and ground support equipment has been implemented and will be presented. The payload presented here represents a cornerstone for future applications of matter wave interferometry with ultracold atoms on satellites.

arXiv:2305.08634•May 15, 2023•1 citation
The MAIUS-1 experiment is a pathfinder quantum optics experiment about to fly on a VSB-30 sounding rocket in November 2015. The scientific objective of the mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a Bose-Einstein Condensate and performing atom interferometry aboard a sounding rocket with Rubidium 87atoms. This paper will summarize the thermal and mechanical design of the payload and its (sub)systems. Moreover the qualification procedures and the results of the qualification test will be presented.
The QUANTUS consortium started activities to perform atom interferometry on a sounding rocket in the year 2011. Three sounding rocket missions (MAIUS-1 to 3) have been planned to demonstrate Bose-Einstein condensation and atom interferometry with rubidium and potassium atoms. Two different payloads MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B are being designed, qualified and integrated in the time frame from 2011 until 2020. The MAIUS-A scientific payload demonstrated the first Bose-Einstein Condensates in Space in the challenging environment aboard a two-staged VSB-30 sounding rocket on the 23rd of January 2017. In order to achieve this ambitious scientific goal the experiment used various sensitive instruments imposing strong requirements on the thermal and mechanical design of the scientific payload. This paper gives a summary of the MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B scientific payload design. Furthermore, the lessons learned from the MAIUS-1 maiden flight as well as the integration and testing activities and their impact on the MAIUS-B scientific payload design are presented. The paper closes with an outlook on future atom interferometry payloads on sounding rockets and beyond.
The QUANTUS consortium started activities to perform atom interferometry on a sounding rocket in the year 2011. Three sounding rocket missions (MAIUS-1 to MAIUS-3) have been planned to demonstrate BoseEinstein condensation and atom interferometry with rubidium and potassium atoms. Two different payloads MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B have been designed qualified and integrated in the time frame from 2011 until 2020. The MAIUS-A scientific payload is capable of performing single species experiment with rubidium only and was used as a technology demonstrator in the MAIUS-1 mission. The MAIUS-1 mission was conducted in fall 2016. On the 23rd of January 2017 the payload MAIUS-A was launched on a VSB-30 sounding rocket. The payload created the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) and performed atom interferometry aboard a sounding rocket with rubidium 87 atoms [Becker 2018]. Its successor MAIUS-B will be able to perform simultaneous experiments with Bose-Einstein Condensates of Rubidium-87 and Potassium-41 atoms. In order to achieve this ambitious scientific goal the experiments use various sensitive instruments imposing strong requirements on the thermal and mechanical design of the scientific payload. This paper gives a summary of the MAIUS-A and MAIUS-B scientific payload design with a focus on the thermal control system. Furthermore, the design of the GSE and the water cooling umbilicals is presented. The paper closes with an outlook on future atom interferometry payloads on sounding rockets and beyond.
In January 2017 a first sounding rocket mission housing experiments on matter-wave interferometry, MAIUS-1 (Materiewellen-Interferometrie unter Schwerelosigkeit Matter-Wave Interferometry under Microgravity), has been launched. Following this campaign, two sounding rocket missions, MAIUS-2 and MAIUS-3, are planned to perform sequential and simultaneous dual-species atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) of Potassium-41 and Rubidium-87. The scientific payload of the MAIUS missions will be launched on-board a VSB-30 sounding rocket launched from Esrange in Sweden. The ights of these rockets allows for approximately 360 s of microgravity conditions. It therefore overs a microgravity environment for experiments on timescales not accessible in ground based experiments, such as in the drop tower. During ascent of the rocket, vibrational loads of up to 1.8 g RMS in the frequency range of 20- 2000 Hz and accelerations of up to 13 g can occur. Furthermore, static loads, caused by the re-entry and the landing, can be as high as 50 g. Both missions MAIUS-2 and MAIUS-3 y the same payload, called MAIUS-B. Consequently, the payload needs to be designed to withstand the aforementioned loads
Abstract We report on the design and the construction of a sounding rocket payload capable of performing atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates of 41^{41}41 41 K and 87^{87}87 87 Rb. The apparatus is designed to be launched in two consecutive missions with a VSB-30 sounding rocket and is qualified to withstand the expected vibrational loads of 1.8 g root-mean-square in a frequency range between 20–2000 Hz and the expected static loads during ascent and re-entry of 25 g. We present a modular design of the scientific payload comprising a physics package, a laser system, an electronics system and a battery module. A dedicated on-board software provides a largely automated process of predefined experiments. To operate the payload safely in laboratory and flight mode, a thermal control system and ground support equipment has been implemented and will be presented. The payload presented here represents a cornerstone for future applications of matter wave interferometry with ultracold atoms on satellites.
The sounding rocket mission MAIUS-1 has the objective to create the first Bose–Einstein condensate in space; therefore, its scientific payload is a complete cold atom experiment built to be launched on a VSB-30 sounding rocket. An essential part of the setup is an ultrahigh vacuum system needed in order to sufficiently suppress interactions of the cooled atoms with the residual background gas. Contrary to vacuum systems on missions aboard satellites or the international space station, the required vacuum environment has to be reached within 47 s after motor burn-out. This paper contains a detailed description of the MAIUS-1 vacuum system, as well as a description of its qualification process for the operation under vibrational loads of up to 8.1 gRMS (where RMS is root mean square). Even though a pressure rise dependent on the level of vibration was observed, the design presented herein is capable of regaining a pressure of below 5 × 10−10 mbar in less than 40 s when tested at 5.4 gRMS. To the authors' best knowledge, it is the first UHV system qualified for operation on a sounding rocket.
We report on the design and the construction of a sounding rocket payload capable of performing atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates of 41^{41}41K and 87^{87}87Rb. The apparatus is designed to be launched in two consecutive missions with a VSB-30 sounding rocket and is qualified to withstand the expected vibrational loads of 1.8 g root-mean-square in a frequency range between 20 - 2000 Hz and the expected static loads during ascent and re-entry of 25 g. We present a modular design of the scientific payload comprising a physics package, a laser system, an electronics system and a battery module. A dedicated on-board software provides a largely automated process of predefined experiments. To operate the payload safely in laboratory and flight mode, a thermal control system and ground support equipment has been implemented and will be presented. The payload presented here represents a cornerstone for future applications of matter wave interferometry with ultracold atoms on satellites.