Parabolic flights in pico-g for space-based gravitational wave observatory: the free-fall experiment on LISA Pathfinder

This thesis reports on the results of the so-called free-fall experiment performed on LISA Pathfinder (LPF). After an introduction to the measurement of space-time curvature from space and its application to gravitational wave observation, overviews of LISA and the precursor mission, LISA Pathfinder, are described. Then a specific source of noise arising on LPF, the actuation noise, is investigated, also with reference to the free-fall experiment. Then, the physics and the design of the experiment are described as well as the analysis technique adopted to analyze the free-fall data. Finally, the results of the free-fall data campaign are shown, with a discussion regarding the possible implications for LISA and space-based gravity gradiometers.