Silica aerogel vibration testing

As has been shown in previous experiments (Dolesi R et al 2000 J. Low Temp. Phys. 118 219), a porous silica aerogel network can adequately constrain o n-orbit motion of superfluid helium, and subsequently remove the possibilit y of a 'helium tide' gravitational disturbance appearing in the Satellite T est of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) signal bandwidth. Silica aerogel is used to decouple the superfluid helium from the Earth (STEP source field). This paper addresses two key issues for flight implementation. The first i s to see whether the litre size samples of aerogel needed to fill the fligh t Dewar behave significantly differently to the millilitre size samples tha t have been extensively studied in the literature. We have found no signifi cant difference. The second issue is to see whether silica aerogel filled w ith superfluid helium will survive launch. Based on the tests reported here , we have found no intrinsic property of the silica aerogel/superfluid heli um system that would cause it to fail in a launch environment.