Defense Intelligence Reference Document High-Frequency Gravitational Wave Communications

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Appendix B: Li-Baker HFGW Detector
Appendix B describes a joint academia/industry project to design the ultra-high
sensitivity Li-Baker detector for high-frequency gravitational waves (HFGWs). The
partnership consists of Louisiana State University (LSU) and Transportation Sciences
Corporation (TSC) in California. The Li-Baker HFGW detector exploits a solution of field
equations that couples photons and GW in first order, and the sensitivity of the detector
will be much better than previously-proposed HFGW detectors. The outcome of this
study will be an engineering-ready design for the HFGW detection system, to be
developed under continued funding. Future construction of this detector will broaden
the search spectrum of the existing UGO low frequency GW detection system; it will be
used to detect and characterize the relic HFGW cosmological background radiation,
contributing to clarifying the origins of the universe. This offers the first and best hope
of GW detection in a completely new GW frequency regime around 10GHz, near the
cutoff of what is cosmically generated and a proof of the capability of the detector to
sense the HFGW emissions of the HFGW generator discussed in Sections 4.4, 4.5 and
4.6.
This first activity is to develop designs, plans and specifications for the Li-Baker
configuration for ultra-high sensitivity detection of relic high-frequency gravitational
waves (HFRGWs) in the laboratory. The first goal will be to develop the design to a
stage where the likely performance can be evaluated in detail. Following a future
proposal, the Li-Baker detector will subsequently be built and used for the basic-science
purposes of sensing HFRGWs having their origin related to the "big bang," as well as for
detecting laboratory-generated HFGWs (Romero and Dehnen, 1981; Baker, 1999,
2000; Woods and Baker, 2005, 2009). As discussed in Sections 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 .Use
will primarily be made of "off-the-shelf" components, and components described in the
open scientific literature and in the various patents issued to Project Scientist Robert M
L Baker, Jr. (Baker, 1999, 2000, 2001, and Patents Pending) who is the inventor of
the Li-Baker HFGW Detector (Baker, 2001). Other components will be designed by the
project participants during the Detector Design (DD) process. The project plan and
timing are described below under separate headings for each component of the work.
D01.1 Containment Vessel
Design of the cryogenic containment vessel and vacuum system: Dr. R.C. Woods
(LSU) + graduate student, G.V. Stephenson (TSC), Dr. R. M L Baker (TSC). This
will be divided into four subtasks:
DDl.1.1 Selection of material for the containment vessel: this choice will be
made in light of the vessel's approximate size and shape, initially anticipated to be
cylindrical, overall approximately 2m diameter and 3m length. Manufacturing ultra-high
vacuum chambers requires fabrication that ensures leak-free performance. For
example, Meyer Tool & Manufacturing, Inc. (Oak Lawn, Illinois) supplies custom
chambers for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) applications. Companies such as Meyer will be
consulted and/or visited to evaluate their manufacturing capability. The final selection
from the expected short-list of titanium, stainless steel and/or aluminum containment
vessels will be made based upon manufacturer recommendation and evaluation of test
data.
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