NASA’s space-based quantum sensor to detect tiniest tremors in Earth’s gravity
NASA has collaborated with some private players and academic institutions to develop the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf) — the first space-based quantum sensor that will monitor Earth’s gravity.
You may not know, but our planet’s gravity isn’t uniform. It changes as mass shifts due to water flow, earthquakes, melting ice, and other geological events. Measuring such changes accurately helps in managing resources, predicting natural disasters, and understanding climate effects.
QGGPf marks a major step toward using quantum technologies for precise measurement of changes in Earth’s gravity.
“This mission will mark a first for quantum sensing and will pave the way for groundbreaking observations of everything from petroleum reserves to global supplies of fresh water,” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team notes.
The science of gradiometers
QGGPf is a gradiometer, an instrument that measures variations in Earth’s gravity by comparing the acceleration at which two nearby objects (called test masses) fall. Where gravity is stronger, a test mass will fall with greater acceleration.
The QGGPf mission will employ a novel approach by utilizing clouds of rubidium atoms cooled to extremely low temperatures (~0 Kelvin).
At these temperatures, the atoms exhibit wave-like behavior, and the gradiometer will measure the minute differences in the acceleration of these waves to map variations in the gravitational field.
This approach is more effective than methods that involve measuring gravity on Earth, which are often influenced by environmental factors. In contrast, space provides a disturbance-free setting, allowing scientists to obtain more accurate readings.
“Using clouds of ultra-cold atoms as test masses is ideal for ensuring that space-based gravity measurements remain accurate over long periods of time. With atoms, I can guarantee that every measurement will be the same. We are less sensitive to environmental effects,” Sheng-wey Chiow, a physicist at JPL, said.
A unique innovation
Scientists suggest that quantum sensors offer increased sensitivity, potentially achieving 10 times greater precision than classical sensors. Plus, compared to other conventional devices, they are much lighter and compact.
For instance, NASA suggests that once completed, QGGPf will weigh only 125 kg (275 lbs) and measure 0.25 cubic meters in volume.
“No one has tried to fly one of these instruments yet. We need to fly it so that we can figure out how well it will operate, and that will allow us to not only advance the quantum gravity gradiometer, but also quantum technology in general,” Ben Stray, a postdoc researcher at JPL, said.
QGGPf is likely to be ready for deployment by 2030. The NASA team is hopeful that it will help scientists unfold many mysteries related to our planet’s gravitational field.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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NASA’s space-based quantum sensor to detect tiniest tremors in Earth’s gravity