Distributed state machine supervision for long-baseline gravitational-wave detectors

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two identical yet independent, widely separated, long-baseline gravitational-wave detectors. Each Advanced LIGO detector consists of complex optical-mechanical systems isolated from the ground by multiple layers of active sei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of scientific instruments 2016-09, Vol.87 (9), p.094502-094502
Main Author: Rollins, Jameson Graef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Active control
AUTOMATION
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CONTROL SYSTEMS
Detectors
Feedback control
Gravitation
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INTERFEROMETERS
LASERS
LAYERS
Mechanical systems
PERTURBED ANGULAR CORRELATION
Scientific apparatus & instruments
SEISMIC ISOLATION
Sensors
State machines
Supervisory control
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Summary:The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two identical yet independent, widely separated, long-baseline gravitational-wave detectors. Each Advanced LIGO detector consists of complex optical-mechanical systems isolated from the ground by multiple layers of active seismic isolation, all controlled by hundreds of fast, digital, feedback control systems. This article describes a novel state machine-based automation platform developed to handle the automation and supervisory control challenges of these detectors. The platform, called Guardian, consists of distributed, independent, state machine automaton nodes organized hierarchically for full detector control. User code is written in standard Python and the platform is designed to facilitate the fast-paced development process associated with commissioning the complicated Advanced LIGO instruments. While developed specifically for the Advanced LIGO detectors, Guardian is a generic state machine automation platform that is useful for experimental control at all levels, from simple table-top setups to large-scale multi-million dollar facilities.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/1.4961665