Search for gravitational waves associated with the InterPlanetary Network short gamma ray bursts

We outline the scientific motivation behind a search for gravitational waves associated with short gamma ray bursts detected by the InterPlanetary Network (IPN) during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. The IPN localisation of short gamma ray bursts is limited to extended error boxes of different shapes and sizes and a search on these error boxes poses a series of challenges for data analysis. We will discuss these challenges and outline the methods to optimise the search over these error boxes.Comment: Methods paper; Proceedings for Eduardo Amaldi 9 Conference on Gravitational Waves, July 2011, Cardiff, U

Recent searches for gravitational-wave bursts associated with magnetar flares with LIGO, GEO, and Virgo

Energetic electromagnetic flares from magnetars - highly magnetized neutron stars - are associated with sudden rearrangements of the mechanical and/or magnetic configurations of the star, which can give rise to mechanical oscillations, some of which may be strong radiators of gravitational waves. General arguments have indicated that gravitational-wave bursts associated temporally with (giant) flares from galactic magnetars may be observable with ground-based gravitational wave detectors. After discussing the expectations based on the astrophysical models, we present results from several campaigns to search for such bursts using the first generation of LIGO, GEO, and Virgo detectors over the period 2005-2009, emphasizing the most recent results. No detections have been made, and we present astrophysically informed limits. Finally, we discuss prospects for progress

Estimating transient detection efficiency in electromagnetic follow up searches

During the most recent LIGO-Virgo science run (Dec 17 2009 to Jan 8 2010 and Sep 2 to Oct 20 2010) multi-messenger searches were performed using several partner telescopes. This resulted in large data sets with images covering several square degrees of the sky. Analysis of these images is currently underway using a variety of different tools. We present an overview of these efforts, in particular the development of new tools which enable us to establish the efficiency for transient images in the fields. This is critical in establishing the sensitivity of gravitational wave and electromagnetic multi-messenger searches to the astrophysical signals we expect to be associated with gravitational waves

Recent results for the search of continuous waves with the LIGO and Virgo detectors

The 'First Generation Era' of gravitational wave detectors is now over, but the data analysis effort for the search of continuous gravitational waves is still ongoing and active. Many results have been produced but still many searches are underway. I present and discuss here the most recent results for this search, together with short discussions on analysis which are now underway and plans for the near future. The discussion on long-term plans and perspectives for the so-called Advanced Detector Era are beyond the scope of this paper

The Analysis of ROTSE Images of Potential Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Events

During the most recent LIGO-GEO-Virgo science run a number of partner telescopes performed follow-up observations of gravitational wave (GW) candidates. One of these collaborators was the ROTSE project. Consisting of four optical telescopes, ROTSE responded to GW triggers and took over 700 follow-up images. Analysis of these images is currently under way using ROTSE's own image processing pipeline. We describe the analysis used to search for transients of astrophysical significance, and steps being taken to automate and optimise the analysis for rapid identification of electromagnetic (EM) counterparts to GW candidates