Impact of Schumann resonances on the Einstein Telescope and projections for the magnetic coupling function

Abstract

Correlated magnetic noise in the form of Schumann resonances could introduce limitations to the gravitational-wave background searches of future Earth-based gravitational-wave detectors. We consider recorded magnetic activity at a candidate site for the Einstein Telescope, and forecast the necessary measures to ensure that magnetic contamination will not pose a threat to the science goals of this third-generation detector. In addition to global magnetic effects, we study local magnetic noise and the impact it might have on colocated interferometers. We express our results as upper limits on the coupling function of magnetic fields to the interferometer arms, implying that any larger values of magnetic coupling into the strain channel would lead to a reduction in the detectors’ sensitivity. For gravitational-wave background searches below ∼30 Hz it will be necessary for the Einstein Telescope magnetic isolation coupling to be two to four orders of magnitude better than that measured in the current Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors.