959 research outputs found
Improving the Sensitivity of Advanced LIGO Using Noise Subtraction
This paper presents an adaptable, parallelizable method for subtracting
linearly coupled noise from Advanced LIGO data. We explain the features
developed to ensure that the process is robust enough to handle the variability
present in Advanced LIGO data. In this work, we target subtraction of noise due
to beam jitter, detector calibration lines, and mains power lines. We
demonstrate noise subtraction over the entirety of the second observing run,
resulting in increases in sensitivity comparable to those reported in previous
targeted efforts. Over the course of the second observing run, we see a 30%
increase in Advanced LIGO sensitivity to gravitational waves from a broad range
of compact binary systems. We expect the use of this method to result in a
higher rate of detected gravitational-wave signals in Advanced LIGO data.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
Reducing scattered light in LIGO\u27s third observing run
Noise due to scattered light has been a frequent disturbance in the advanced LIGO gravitational wave detectors, hindering the detection of gravitational waves. The non stationary scatter noise caused by low frequency motion can be recognized as arches in the time-frequency plane of the gravitational wave channel. In this paper, we characterize the scattering noise for LIGO and Virgo\u27s third observing run O3 from April, 2019 to March, 2020. We find at least two different populations of scattering noise and we investigate the multiple origins of one of them as well as its mitigation. We find that relative motion between two specific surfaces is strongly correlated with the presence of scattered light and we implement a technique to reduce this motion. We also present an algorithm using a witness channel to identify the times this noise can be present in the detecto
Search for gravitational waves associated with the August 2006 timing glitch of the Vela pulsar
The physical mechanisms responsible for pulsar timing glitches are thought to excite quasinormal mode oscillations in their parent neutron star that couple to gravitational-wave emission. In August 2006, a timing glitch was observed in the radio emission of PSR B0833-45, the Vela pulsar. At the time of the glitch, the two colocated Hanford gravitational-wave detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave observatory (LIGO) were operational and taking data as part of the fifth LIGO science run (S5). We present the first direct search for the gravitational-wave emission associated with oscillations of the fundamental quadrupole mode excited by a pulsar timing glitch. No gravitational-wave detection
candidate was found. We place Bayesian 90% confidence upper limits of 6.3 x 10^(-21) to 1.4 x 10^(-20) on the peak intrinsic strain amplitude of gravitational-wave ring-down signals, depending on which spherical harmonic mode is excited. The corresponding range of energy upper limits is 5.0 x 10^(-44) to 1.3 x 10^(-45) erg
Reducing controls noise in gravitational wave detectors with interferometric local damping of suspended optics
Control noise is a limiting factor in the low-frequency performance of the
LIGO gravitational wave detectors. In this paper we model the effects of using
new sensors called HoQIs to control the suspension resonances. We show if we
were to use HoQIs, instead of the standard shadow sensors, we can suppress
resonance peaks up to tenfold more while simultaneously reducing the noise
injected by the damping system. Through a cascade of effects this will reduce
the resonant cross-coupling, allow for improved stability for feed-forward
control, and result in improved sensitivity of the detector in the 10-20 Hz
band. This analysis shows that local sensors such as HoQIs should be used in
current and future detectors to improve low-frequency performance.Comment: RSI Accepted manuscript, 9 pages, 8 figure
First search for gravitational waves from the youngest known neutron star
We present a search for periodic gravitational waves from the neutron star in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia
A. The search coherently analyzes data in a 12 day interval taken from the fifth science run of the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. It searches gravitational-wave frequencies from 100 to 300 Hz
and covers a wide range of first and second frequency derivatives appropriate for the age of the remnant and
for different spin-down mechanisms. No gravitational-wave signal was detected. Within the range of search
frequencies, we set 95% confidence upper limits of (0.7–1.2) × 10^(−24) on the intrinsic gravitational-wave
strain, (0.4–4) × 10^(−4) on the equatorial ellipticity of the neutron star, and 0.005–0.14 on the amplitude of
r-mode oscillations of the neutron star. These direct upper limits beat indirect limits derived from energy
conservation and enter the range of theoretical predictions involving crystalline exotic matter or runaway r-modes.
This paper is also the first gravitational-wave search to present upper limits on the r-mode amplitude
Search for gravitational waves from low mass compact binary coalescence in LIGO’s sixth science run and Virgo’s science runs 2 and 3
We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009, and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and 25M_⊙; this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up to 40 Mpc distant for binary neutron stars, and further for higher mass systems. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass, including the results from previous LIGO and Virgo observations. The cumulative 90% confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems are 1.3×10^(-4), 3.1×10^(-5), and 6.4×10^(-6) Mpc^(-3) yr^(-1), respectively. These upper limits are up to a factor 1.4 lower than previously derived limits. We also report on results from a blind injection challenge
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