Devices are disclosed for placement between first and second masses for attenuating
transmission of motions from one of the masses to the other. A general embodiment
of such a device includes a fluid isolator and a lateral fluid bearing situated
along a support axis. The fluid isolator includes a housing defining an isolator
chamber pressurized with a gas at pressure Pisol. The fluid isolator
is situated such that motion of the masses relative to each other along the support
axis is at the fluid isolator, and lateral motion is at the lateral fluid bearing.
The lateral fluid bearing includes first and second bearing surfaces that are transverse
to the support axis. At least one such surface defines three channels: pressure
channel, atmospheric pressure channel, and vacuum channel. In order from the isolator
chamber, the pressure channel (at pressure PXYbearingPisol)
is first, the atmospheric pressure channel (at pressure Patm) is second,
and the vacuum channel (at pressure Pvac) is third. From this general
embodiment, a number of configurations are possible.