Research on Shock Acceleration Limit of an Ultra-Stable Optical Cavity for Space Applications Based on the Finite Element Methodology

Ultra-stable optical cavities (USOCs) as fragile precision instruments have many important applications in space. In order to protect them from being damaged during a rocket launch, we analyzed a USOC by means of finite element methodology. The shock acceleration limits that the USOC can withstand in different directions and under various conditions are given. To increase the shock acceleration limit, the midplane thickness and the fixed hole diameter should be selected to be as high as possible. It is worth noting that the launch direction of the USOC should be selected as the horizontal direction, for which the shock acceleration limit that the USOC can withstand is approximately two times that of the vertical direction. In this paper, results provide guidance for the design of USOCs for space applications, especially the design to prevent the damage caused by a shock. The method could then be applied to other space optical cavities, providing a tool to improve the effect of shock at high accelerations.