Amplitude stability research and experimental investigation of the actuation circuit of the inertial sensor for space gravitational wave detection

Abstract The primary measure of scientific performance for inertial sensors used in space gravitational wave detection is the residual acceleration noise of the test mass (TM). This residual noise arises from both the internal circuit and the external environment. The actuation circuit, a crucial component of the internal circuit, significantly affects the TM’s residual acceleration noise through its amplitude stability, thereby impacting the scientific performance of the inertial sensor. In this study, we designed the actuation circuit for an inertial sensor, developed a mathematical model to describe its amplitude stability, and experimentally verified the model’s accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the current design enables the actuation circuit to achieve an amplitude stability of 3.6 ppm Hz −1/2 at 1 mHz, thereby offering theoretical support for achieving a higher amplitude stability in the millihertz frequency band.