POLARIZED BEAM, MATCHED COINCIDENT BEAM PATH, INTERFEROMETRIC GRADIOMETER APPARATUS AND METHOD

• Main Authors: NIEBAUER, TIMOTHY, M, BILLSON, RYAN, M, KLOPPING, FRED, J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 15.01.2015
• Subjects: DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING

A gravity gradient is measured interferometrically from two polarized light beams having mutually different polarization planes which reflect from opposite surfaces of two freefalling test masses. The two polarized light beams project along matched coincident beam paths and divert from the coinciden...