LRS Micro-g LaCoste FG5, Manual, Page: 15 / 149

Design: Components and Function
2
Figure 2-5
Side view of the cart/drag-free chamber
2.1.2.TEST MASS
The Test Mass (Figure 2-4 and Figure 2-5) is a retroreflective corner cube
surrounded by a support structure and balanced at the optical center of the
corner cube. The corner cube is a three-surface mirror which has the special
optical property that the reflected beam is always parallel to the incident beam.
In addition, the phase shift of the reflected beam is virtually constant with
respect to any slight rotation or translation of the corner cube around its optical
center
1
.
1
Peck, Edson, J. Opt. Soc. Amer., 38 , (1948)
2-5