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A gravity gradiometer having quadrupole responders in which a mass quadrupole is supported by a torsional spring forming a flexure allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about its center of mass. The flexure can be a pair of spaced apart posts. The flexure can be made from glassy metal having at r

A gravity gradiometer having quadrupole responders in which a mass quadrupole is supported by a torsional spring forming a flexure allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about its center of mass. The flexure can be a pair of spaced apart posts. The flexure can be made from glassy metal having at room temperature a high elastic limit, high stiffness, high strength and low internal damping. The flexure can alternatively be a web made of glassy metal.

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The invention claimed is: 1. A quadrupole responder for an OQR type gravity gradiometer comprising: a) a housing; b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing and having a center of mass; c) a torsional spring comprising a flexure attaching said mass quadrupole to said housing and allowing ro

The invention claimed is: 1. A quadrupole responder for an OQR type gravity gradiometer comprising: a) a housing; b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing and having a center of mass; c) a torsional spring comprising a flexure attaching said mass quadrupole to said housing and allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about said center of mass; d) the flexure comprising at least two spaced apart posts. 2. A quadrupole responder according to claim 1 wherein there are no more than two said posts. 3. A quadrupole responder according to claim 1 wherein said posts are formed of a material which is a glassy metal or a nanocrystalline material. 4. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2% at about room temperature. 5. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa at about room temperature. 6. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6 at about room temperature. 7. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2%, an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa, and a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6, all at about room temperature. 8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein there are two of said quadrupole responder forming a gravity gradiometer. 9. A quadrupole responder for an OQR type gravity gradiometer comprising: a) a housing; b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing and having a center of mass; c) a torsional spring comprising a flexure attaching said mass quadrupole to said housing and allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about said center of mass; d) said flexure being formed of a material which is a glassy metal or a nanocrystalline material such that the flexure will undergo low loss elastic deformation during said rotation. 10. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2% at about room temperature. 11. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa at about room temperature. 12. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6 at about room temperature. 13. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2%, an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa, and a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6, all at about room temperature. 14. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said flexure comprises at least two spaced apart posts. 15. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said flexure comprises not more than two spaced apart posts. 16. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said flexure comprises a web. 17. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal is selected from the group comprising: (i) AxZt where "A" is one or a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of IVb, Vb, VIb and VIII of the Periodic Table; "Z" is one or a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of a metalloid element from the group IIIa, IVa, Va, and VIa of the Periodic Table, and wherein "x" and "t" are atomic percents, (ii) AxBy where "A" is one or a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of IVb, Vb, VIb and VIII of the Periodic Table; "B" is one or a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of elements from the group IIa, Ib, IIb, IIIb, IVb, Vb, VIb and VIIb of the Periodic Table, and wherein "x" and "y" are atomic percents. 18. A quadrupole responder according to claim 17 wherein "Z" is at least one member selected from the group consisting of silicon, phosphorus, carbon and boron. 19. A quadrupole responder according to claim 18 wherein "B" is at least one member selected from the group consisting of refractory or alkali earth metals. 20. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal is selected from the following glassy metal alloy families: Mg-LN-(Ni, Cu, Zn) Mg-LN-(Ni, Cu, Zn)--(Ag, Pd) Ln-Al-TM Ln-Y--Al-TM Ti--(Zr, Hf)-TM Ti--Zr-TM-Be Ti--Zr-TM-Al--Si--B Ti--Ni--Cu--Sn Ti--Ni--Cu--Sn--Be Zr--Al-TM Zr--(Ti, Nb)-TM-Be Zr--Al--(Ti, Nb)-TM-Be Zr--(Ti, Nb, Pd)--Al-TM (Hf, Zr)--Ti--(Al, Ga)-TM Au--Cu--Si--(Ag, Pd) Pt-TM-P Cu--(Zr, Hf, Nb)--Ti Cu--(Zr, Hf, Nb)--Ti--Ta Cu--(Zr, Hf)--Ti--(Y, Be) Cu--(Zr, Hf, Nb)--Ti-TM Cu--(Zr, Hf)--(Al, Ga) Cu--(Zr, Hf)--Ti--(Ag, Au, Pd, Pt) Cu--(Zr, Hf)--Ti--Al--(Ag, Au, Pd, Pt) Cu--(Zr, Hf) Pd-TM-P Pd--Cu--Si Pd--Cu--Si--P Ca--Mg--(Ni, Cu, Zn) Ca--Al--Mg--(Ni, Cu, Zn) (Y, Sc)--Al-TM wherein the symbol TM is an abbreviation meaning the family of elements known as transition metals and comprised of the elements from Group IIIB through Group IIB of the Periodic Table. 21. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal is selected from the following glassy metal alloy families: Cu--Zr--Ti--Ta Cu--Zr--Ti-TM Ti--Ni--Cu--Sn Zr--Al-TM Hf--Zr--Ti--Al-TM wherein the symbol TM is an abbreviation meaning the family of elements known as transition metals and comprised of the elements from Group IIIB through Group IIB of the Periodic Table. 22. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Cu, Zr, Ti, and Ta. 23. A quadrupole responder according to claim 22 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: (Cu0.6--Zr0.3--Ti0.1)99Ta1. 24. A quadrupole responder according to claim 22 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: (Cu0.6--Zr0.3--Ti0.1)98Ta2. 25. A quadrupole responder according to claim 22 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: (Cu0.6--Zr0.3--Ti0.1)97Ta3. 26. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Cu, Zr, Ti, and TM, wherein the symbol TM is an abbreviation meaning the family of elements known as transition metals and comprised of the elements from Group IIIB through Group IIB of the Periodic Table. 27. A quadrupole responder according to claim 26 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Cu47--Ti34--Zr11--Ni8, the element Ni being one of said transition metals. 28. A quadrupole responder according to claim 26 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Cu47--Ti33--Zr11--Ni8--Fe1, the elements Ni and Fe being members of said family of elements known as transition metals. 29. A quadrupole responder according to claim 26 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: (Cu54--Zr22--Ti18)--Ni6, the element Ni being a member of the family of elements known as transition metals. 30. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Ti, Ni, Cu, Sn. 31. A quadrupole responder according to claim 30 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Ti50--Cu25--Ni20--Sn5. 32. A quadrupole responder according to claim 30 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Ti50--Cu23--Ni20Sn7. 33. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Zr, Al, and TM, wherein the symbol TM is an abbreviation meaning the family of elements known as transition metals and comprised of the elements from Group IIIB through Group IIB of the Periodic Table. 34. A quadrupole responder according to claim 33 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Zr55--Co25--Al20, wherein Co is a member of said family of elements known as transition metals. 35. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Hf, Zr, Ti, Al, and TM, wherein the symbol TM is an abbreviation meaning the family of elements known as transition metals and comprised of the elements from Group IIIB through Group IIB of the Periodic Table. 36. A quadrupole responder according to claim 35 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Hf50--Cu30--Ni10--Al10, wherein the elements Cu and Ni are members of said family of elements known as transition metals. 37. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said glassy metal includes: Cu, Zr, Al, and Ag. 38. A quadrupole responder according to claim 37 wherein said glassy metal comprises substantially the following formulation, where the numbers refer to the atomic percentage of each element: Cu43--Zr43--Al7--Ag7. 39. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2% at a cryogenic temperature. 40. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa at a cryogenic temperature. 41. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6 at a cryogenic temperature. 42. A quadrupole responder according to claim 3 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2%, an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa, and a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6, all at a cryogenic temperature. 43. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2% at a cryogenic temperature. 44. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa at a cryogenic temperature. 45. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6 at a cryogenic temperature. 46. A quadrupole responder according to claim 9 wherein said material has a maximum elastic deflection of at least about 2%, an elastic limit of at least about 2000 MPa, and a loss coefficient not greater than about 10-6, all at a cryogenic temperature.