The T2K off-axis near detector: recent physics results

AbstractThe T2K near detector complex, ND280, is located at the J-PARC accelerator facility in Tokai, Japan, 280 meters downstream from the target. This proceeding will summarize recent physics results from ND280

Simple Model of Complete Precessing Black-Hole-Binary Gravitational Waveforms

The construction of a model of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal from generic configurations of spinning-black-hole binaries, through inspiral, merger, and ringdown, is one of the most pressing theoretical problems in the buildup to the era of GW astronomy. We present the first such model in the frequency domain, PhenomP, which captures the basic phenomenology of the seven-dimensional parameter space of binary configurations with only three key physical parameters. Two of these (the binary’s mass ratio and an effective total spin parallel to the orbital angular momentum, which determines the inspiral rate) define an underlying nonprecessing-binary model. The nonprecessing-binary waveforms are then twisted up with approximate expressions for the precessional motion, which require only one additional physical parameter, an effective precession spin, χp. All other parameters (total mass, sky location, orientation and polarization, and initial phase) can be specified trivially. The model is constructed in the frequency domain, which will be essential for efficient GW searches and source measurements. We have tested the model’s fidelity for GW applications by comparison against hybrid post-Newtonian-numerical-relativity waveforms at a variety of configurations—although we did not use these numerical simulations in the construction of the model. Our model can be used to develop GW searches, to study the implications for astrophysical measurements, and as a simple conceptual framework to form the basis of generic-binary waveform modeling in the advanced-detector era

Search for anisotropic, birefringent spacetime-symmetry breaking in gravitational wave propagation from GWTC-3

An effective field theory framework, the Standard-Model Extension, is used to investigate the existence of Lorentz and CPT-violating effects during gravitational wave propagation. We implement a modified equation for the dispersion of gravitational waves, that includes isotropic, anisotropic and birefringent dispersion. Using the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA algorithm library suite, we perform a joint Bayesian inference of the source parameters and coefficients for spacetime symmetry breaking. From a sample of 45 high confidence events selected in the GWTC-3 catalog, we obtain a maximal bound of $3.19 \times 10^{-15}$~m at 90\% CI for the isotropic coefficient $k_{(V)00}^{(5)}$ when assuming the anisotropic coefficients to be zero. The combined measurement of all the dispersion parameters yields limits on the order of $10^{-13}$~m for the 16 $k_{(V)ij}^{(5)}$ coefficients. We study the robustness of our inference by comparing the constraints obtained with different waveform models, and find that a lack of physics in the simulated waveform may appear as spacetime symmetry breaking-induced dispersion for a subset of events

Simple model of complete precessing black-hole-binary gravitational waveforms

The construction of a model of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal from generic configurations of spinning-black-hole binaries, through inspiral, merger, and ringdown, is one of the most pressing theoretical problems in the buildup to the era of GW astronomy. We present the first such model in the frequency domain, PhenomP, which captures the basic phenomenology of the seven-dimensional parameter space of binary configurations with only three key physical parameters. Two of these (the binary’s mass ratio and an effective total spin parallel to the orbital angular momentum, which determines the inspiral rate) define an underlying nonprecessing-binary model. The nonprecessing-binary waveforms are then twisted up with approximate expressions for the precessional motion, which require only one additional physical parameter, an effective precession spin, χp. All other parameters (total mass, sky location, orientation and polarization, and initial phase) can be specified trivially. The model is constructed in the frequency domain, which will be essential for efficient GW searches and source measurements. We have tested the model’s fidelity for GW applications by comparison against hybrid post-Newtonian-numerical-relativity waveforms at a variety of configurations—although we did not use these numerical simulations in the construction of the model. Our model can be used to develop GW searches, to study the implications for astrophysical measurements, and as a simple conceptual framework to form the basis of generic-binary waveform modeling in the advanced-detector era

Search for gravitational-lensing signatures in the full third observing run of the LIGO-Virgo network

Gravitational lensing by massive objects along the line of sight to the source causes distortions of gravitational wave-signals; such distortions may reveal information about fundamental physics, cosmology and astrophysics. In this work, we have extended the search for lensing signatures to all binary black hole events from the third observing run of the LIGO--Virgo network. We search for repeated signals from strong lensing by 1) performing targeted searches for subthreshold signals, 2) calculating the degree of overlap amongst the intrinsic parameters and sky location of pairs of signals, 3) comparing the similarities of the spectrograms amongst pairs of signals, and 4) performing dual-signal Bayesian analysis that takes into account selection effects and astrophysical knowledge. We also search for distortions to the gravitational waveform caused by 1) frequency-independent phase shifts in strongly lensed images, and 2) frequency-dependent modulation of the amplitude and phase due to point masses. None of these searches yields significant evidence for lensing. Finally, we use the non-detection of gravitational-wave lensing to constrain the lensing rate based on the latest merger-rate estimates and the fraction of dark matter composed of compact objects

Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Searching for new physics during gravitational waves propagation

International audienceThe direct detection of gravitational waves by ground-based interferometers opened an unprecedented channel to probe alternative theories of gravitation. Several theories predict a dispersion of the gravitational waves during their propagation, distorting the signals observed by LIGO and Virgo compared to their predictions from general relativity. Such dispersion could induce a modification of the luminosity distance inferred with gravitational radiation with regards to electromagnetic radiation. By analysing two multimessenger events, we set constraints on a large class of proposed theories, including extra-dimensional and scalar-tensor theories. The multimessenger events are the binary neutron star merger GW170817 associated to GRB170817A, and the binary black hole merger GW190521 with postulated candidate electromagnetic counterpart ZTF19abanrhr. Without relying on multimessenger emission, a class of proposed theories predict a frequency-dependent dispersion of the gravitational waves breaking Lorentz invariance. By analysing 31 GW events from binary-black holes coalescence, we constrain several coefficients parameterising Lorentz violation, including the best constraint on the graviton mass

Gravitational waves propagation as a probe of new fundamental physics

International audienceThe direct detection of gravitational waves opened an unprecedented channel to probe fundamental physics. Several alternative theories of gravitation have been proposed with various motivations, including accounting for the accelerated expansion of the Universe and the unification of fundamental forces. The study of gravitational waves propagation enables putting several predictions from those proposed theories to test, with the advantages of presenting deviations that are source-independent and tractable over the complete waveform signal. This proceeding presents an overview of the recent searches for anomalous propagation effects using the events detected by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration during the three observational runs. Several proposals, such as massive gravity and unified theories, predict a frequency-dependent dispersion of the gravitational waves breaking local CPT and/or Lorentz symmetry. Constraints on the dispersion coefficients are obtained from the analysis of the gravitational waveform signals using an effective field theory framework. Using inferred wave and source properties from candidate multimessenger events, constraints are independently obtained on the speed of gravity, the presence of large extra dimensions and scalar-tensor gravitation theories parameterizations

Measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters using neutrino and antineutrino data of the T2K experiment

This thesis presents a measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters with the T2K experiment. A simultaneous analysis of ND280 and Super-Kamiokande data is performed to measure sin^2 θ_23, ∆m^2_32, sin^2 θ_13 and δ_CP. The parameters estimations performed in this thesis rely on a Bayesian statistical method sampling the parameters posterior probability distributions with a Markov chain Monte-Carlo technique. The analysed data correspond to an exposure of 7.482·10^20 protons on target (POT) in ν-mode and 7.471·10^20 in antiν-mode, consisting of the T2K runs 1 to 7. The mixing angle θ_13 is precisely measured in reactor experiments; using this external input the neutrino mixing parameters are measured to be sin^2 θ_23=0.51+0.04−0.05, ∆m^2_32=2.54+0.12−0.12·10^3 eV^2·c^−4,sin^2 θ_13=0.0219±0.0011, and δ_CP=−1.79+0.91−0.66 rad. CP-conservation in the neutrino sector is excluded with a 90% credibility (or C.L.). An analysis separating νμ from antiνμ disappearance finds consistent results between neutrino and antineutrino oscillations