Development and Study of a System for Monitoring the State of Instrumentation in a Laser-Interference Geophysical Complex

This article presents results on the development, creation, and application of a control system for long-base laser strain gauges intended for the study of geodynamic processes over a wide frequency range. The control system includes: a long base laser strain gauge employing test quadrature signals based on an unequal-arm Michelson laser interferometer, a recording apparatus, and a device for data collection and storage. A geophysical laser-interference complex is described which serves as a basis for constructing interregional spatially separated measurement systems. The efficiency of laser-interference measurement devices based on a Michelson interferometer is demonstrated in accounting for the influence of external factors during geophysical measurements employing laser strain gauges. A strain-gauge recording system based on a Michelson interferometer is described which yields high sensitivity and permits detection of high frequency oscillations (up to 2 kHz). The advantages of this monitoring system compared to the previous versions are noted: the optical scheme of the proposed interferometer contains fewer parts and the recording system is more reliable and consumes less power.