GWTC-1: A Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog of Compact Binary Mergers Observed by LIGO and Virgo during the First and Second Observing Runs

We present the results from three gravitational-wave searches for coalescing compact binaries with component masses above 1  M⊙ during the first and second observing runs of the advanced gravitational-wave detector network. During the first observing run (O1), from September 12, 2015 to January 19, 2016, gravitational waves from three binary black hole mergers were detected. The second observing run (O2), which ran from November 30, 2016 to August 25, 2017, saw the first detection of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star inspiral, in addition to the observation of gravitational waves from a total of seven binary black hole mergers, four of which we report here for the first time: GW170729, GW170809, GW170818, and GW170823. For all significant gravitational-wave events, we provide estimates of the source properties. The detected binary black holes have total masses between 18.6−0.7+3.2  M⊙ and 84.4−11.1+15.8  M⊙ and range in distance between 320−110+120 and 2840−1360+1400  Mpc. No neutron star-black hole mergers were detected. In addition to highly significant gravitational-wave events, we also provide a list of marginal event candidates with an estimated false-alarm rate less than 1 per 30 days. From these results over the first two observing runs, which include approximately one gravitational-wave detection per 15 days of data searched, we infer merger rates at the 90% confidence intervals of 110−3840  Gpc−3 y−1 for binary neutron stars and 9.7−101  Gpc−3 y−1 for binary black holes assuming fixed population distributions and determine a neutron star-black hole merger rate 90% upper limit of 610  Gpc−3 y−1

First measurement of the Hubble Constant from a Dark Standard Siren using the Dark Energy Survey Galaxies and the LIGO/Virgo Binary–Black-hole Merger GW170814

International audienceWe present a multi-messenger measurement of the Hubble constant H 0 using the binary–black-hole merger GW170814 as a standard siren, combined with a photometric redshift catalog from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The luminosity distance is obtained from the gravitational wave signal detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)/Virgo Collaboration (LVC) on 2017 August 14, and the redshift information is provided by the DES Year 3 data. Black hole mergers such as GW170814 are expected to lack bright electromagnetic emission to uniquely identify their host galaxies and build an object-by-object Hubble diagram. However, they are suitable for a statistical measurement, provided that a galaxy catalog of adequate depth and redshift completion is available. Here we present the first Hubble parameter measurement using a black hole merger. Our analysis results in , which is consistent with both SN Ia and cosmic microwave background measurements of the Hubble constant. The quoted 68% credible region comprises 60% of the uniform prior range [20, 140] km s−1 Mpc−1, and it depends on the assumed prior range. If we take a broader prior of [10, 220] km s−1 Mpc−1, we find (57% of the prior range). Although a weak constraint on the Hubble constant from a single event is expected using the dark siren method, a multifold increase in the LVC event rate is anticipated in the coming years and combinations of many sirens will lead to improved constraints on H 0

Search for eccentric binary black hole mergers with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo during their first and second observing runs

When formed through dynamical interactions, stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) may retain eccentric orbits (e > 0.1 at 10 Hz) detectable by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Eccentricity can therefore be used to differentiate dynamically formed binaries from isolated BBH mergers. Current template-based gravitational-wave searches do not use waveform models associated with eccentric orbits, rendering the search less efficient for eccentric binary systems. Here we present the results of a search for BBH mergers that inspiral in eccentric orbits using data from the first and second observing runs (O1 and O2) of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We carried out the search with the coherent WaveBurst algorithm, which uses minimal assumptions on the signal morphology and does not rely on binary waveform templates. We show that it is sensitive to binary mergers with a detection range that is weakly dependent on eccentricity for all bound systems. Our search did not identify any new binary merger candidates. We interpret these results in light of eccentric binary formation models. We rule out formation channels with rates greater than about 100 Gpc−3 yr−1 for e > 0.1, assuming a black hole mass spectrum with a power-law index less than about 2

Search for the isotropic stochastic background using data from Advanced LIGO's second observing run

The stochastic gravitational-wave background is a superposition of sources that are either too weak or too numerous to detect individually. In this study, we present the results from a cross-correlation analysis on data from Advanced LIGO’s second observing run (O2), which we combine with the results of the first observing run (O1). We do not find evidence for a stochastic background, so we place upper limits on the normalized energy density in gravitational waves at the 95% credible level of Ω GW < 6.0 × 10 − 8 for a frequency-independent (flat) background and Ω GW < 4.8 × 10 − 8 at 25 Hz for a background of compact binary coalescences. The upper limit improves over the O1 result by a factor of 2.8. Additionally, we place upper limits on the energy density in an isotropic background of scalar- and vector-polarized gravitational waves, and we discuss the implication of these results for models of compact binaries and cosmic string backgrounds. Finally, we present a conservative estimate of the correlated broadband noise due to the magnetic Schumann resonances in O2, based on magnetometer measurements at both the LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston observatories. We find that correlated noise is well below the O2 sensitivity

First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events

During the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transmitted to several telescopes for follow-up observations aimed at the detection of an associated optical transient. Images were obtained for eight such GW candidates. We present the methods used to analyze the image data as well as the transient search results. No optical transient was identified with a convincing association with any of these candidates, and none of the GW triggers showed strong evidence for being astrophysical in nature. We compare the sensitivities of these observations to several model light curves from possible sources of interest, and discuss prospects for future joint GW-optical observations of this type

Search of the early O3 LIGO data for continuous gravitational waves from the Cassiopeia A and Vela Jr. supernova remnants

partially_open1412sìWe present directed searches for continuous gravitational waves from the neutron stars in the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) and Vela Jr. supernova remnants. We carry out the searches in the LIGO detector data from the first six months of the third Advanced LIGO and Virgo observing run using the weave semicoherent method, which sums matched-filter detection-statistic values over many time segments spanning the observation period. No gravitational wave signal is detected in the search band of 20–976 Hz for assumed source ages greater than 300 years for Cas A and greater than 700 years for Vela Jr. Estimates from simulated continuous wave signals indicate we achieve the most sensitive results to date across the explored parameter space volume, probing to strain magnitudes as low as ∼6.3×10^−26 for Cas A and ∼5.6×10^−26 for Vela Jr. at frequencies near 166 Hz at 95% efficiency.openAbbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, N.; Adhikari, R. X.; Adya, V. B.; Affeldt, C.; Agarwal, D.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Aiello, L.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Albanesi, S.; Allocca, A.; Altin, P. A.; Amato, A.; Anand, C.; Anand, S.; Ananyeva, A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Andrade, T.; Andres, N.; Andrić, T.; Angelova, S. V.; Ansoldi, S.; Antelis, J. M.; Antier, S.; Appert, S.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Areeda, J. S.; Arène, M.; Arnaud, N.; Aronson, S. M.; Arun, K. G.; Asali, Y.; Ashton, G.; Assiduo, M.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aubin, F.; Austin, C.; Babak, S.; Badaracco, F.; Bader, M. K. M.; Badger, C.; Bae, S.; Baer, A. M.; Bagnasco, S.; Bai, Y.; Baird, J.; Ball, M.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Balsamo, A.; Baltus, G.; Banagiri, S.; Bankar, D.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbieri, C.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barneo, P.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barta, D.; Bartlett, J.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Bawaj, M.; Bayley, J. C.; Baylor, A. C.; Bazzan, M.; Bécsy, B.; Bedakihale, V. M.; Bejger, M.; Belahcene, I.; Benedetto, V.; Beniwal, D.; Bennett, T. F.; Bentley, J. D.; BenYaala, M.; Bergamin, F.; Berger, B. K.; Bernuzzi, S.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, D.; Bhandare, R.; Bhardwaj, U.; Bhattacharjee, D.; Bhaumik, S.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Bini, S.; Birney, R.; Birnholtz, O.; Biscans, S.; Bischi, M.; Biscoveanu, S.; Bisht, A.; Biswas, B.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M.-A.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blair, C. D.; Blair, D. G.; Blair, R. M.; Bobba, F.; Bode, N.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Boldrini, M.; Bonavena, L. D.; Bondu, F.; Bonilla, E.; Bonnand, R.; Booker, P.; Boom, B. A.; Bork, R.; Boschi, V.; Bose, N.; Bose, S.; Bossilkov, V.; Boudart, V.; Bouffanais, Y.; Bozzi, A.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Bramley, A.; Branch, A.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Breschi, M.; Briant, T.; Briggs, J. H.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brockill, P.; Brooks, A. F.; Brooks, J.; Brown, D. D.; Brunett, S.; Bruno, G.; Bruntz, R.; Bryant, J.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buscicchio, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Cahillane, C.; Bustillo, J. Calderón; Callaghan, J. D.; Callister, T. A.; Calloni, E.; Cameron, J.; Camp, J. B.; Canepa, M.; Canevarolo, S.; Cannavacciuolo, M.; Cannon, K. C.; Cao, H.; Capote, E.; Carapella, G.; Carbognani, F.; Carlin, J. B.; Carney, M. F.; Carpinelli, M.; Carrillo, G.; Carullo, G.; Carver, T. L.; Diaz, J. Casanueva; Casentini, C.; Castaldi, G.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Ceasar, M.; Cella, G.; Cerdá-Durán, P.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, W.; Chakravarti, K.; Subrahmanya, S. Chalathadka; Champion, E.; Chan, C.-H.; Chan, C.; Chan, C. L.; Chan, K.; Chandra, K.; Chanial, P.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chase, E. A.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chatterjee, C.; Chatterjee, Debarati; Chatterjee, Deep; Chaturvedi, M.; Chaty, S.; Chen, H. Y.; Chen, J.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chen, Z.; Cheng, H.; Cheong, C. K.; Cheung, H. Y.; Chia, H. Y.; Chiadini, F.; Chiarini, G.; Chierici, R.; Chincarini, A.; Chiofalo, M. L.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, G.; Cho, H. S.; Choudhary, R. K.; Choudhary, S.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S.; Chung, K. W.; Ciani, G.; Ciecielag, P.; Cieślar, M.; Cifaldi, M.; Ciobanu, A. A.; Ciolfi, R.; Cipriano, F.; Cirone, A.; Clara, F.; Clark, E. N.; Clark, J. A.; Clarke, L.; Clearwater, P.; Clesse, S.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Codazzo, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Cohen, D. E.; Cohen, L.; Colleoni, M.; Collette, C. G.; Colombo, A.; Colpi, M.; Compton, C. M.; Constancio, M.; Conti, L.; Cooper, S. J.; Corban, P.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordero-Carrión, I.; Corezzi, S.; Corley, K. R.; Cornish, N.; Corre, D.; Corsi, A.; Cortese, S.; Costa, C. A.; Cotesta, R.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S. T.; Cousins, B.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M. J.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Criswell, A. W.; Croquette, M.; Crowder, S. G.; Cudell, J. R.; Cullen, T. J.; Cumming, A.; Cummings, R.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Curyło, M.; Dabadie, P.; Canton, T. Dal; Dall’Osso, S.; Dálya, G.; Dana, A.; DaneshgaranBajastani, L. M.; D’Angelo, B.; Danilishin, S.; D’Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Darsow-Fromm, C.; Dasgupta, A.; Datrier, L. E. H.; Datta, S.; Dattilo, V.; Dave, I.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Davis, D.; Davis, M. C.; Daw, E. J.; Dean, R.; DeBra, D.; Deenadayalan, M.; Degallaix, J.; De Laurentis, M.; Deléglise, S.; Del Favero, V.; De Lillo, F.; De Lillo, N.; Del Pozzo, W.; DeMarchi, L. M.; De Matteis, F.; D’Emilio, V.; Demos, N.; Dent, T.; Depasse, A.; De Pietri, R.; De Rosa, R.; De Rossi, C.; DeSalvo, R.; De Simone, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M. C.; Diaz-Ortiz, M.; Didio, N. A.; Dietrich, T.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Fronzo, C.; Di Giorgio, C.; Di Giovanni, F.; Di Giovanni, M.; Di Girolamo, T.; Di Lieto, A.; Ding, B.; Di Pace, S.; Di Palma, I.; Di Renzo, F.; Divakarla, A. K.; Dmitriev, A.; Doctor, Z.; D’Onofrio, L.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dorrington, I.; Drago, M.; Driggers, J. C.; Drori, Y.; Ducoin, J.-G.; Dupej, P.; Durante, O.; D’Urso, D.; Duverne, P.-A.; Dwyer, S. E.; Eassa, C.; Easter, P. J.; Ebersold, M.; Eckhardt, T.; Eddolls, G.; Edelman, B.; Edo, T. B.; Edy, O.; Effler, A.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Eisenmann, M.; Eisenstein, R. A.; Ejlli, A.; Engelby, E.; Errico, L.; Essick, R. C.; Estellés, H.; Estevez, D.; Etienne, Z.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T. M.; Ewing, B. E.; Fafone, V.; Fair, H.; Fairhurst, S.; Farah, A. M.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Farrow, N. W.; Fauchon-Jones, E. J.; Favaro, G.; Favata, M.; Fays, M.; Fazio, M.; Feicht, J.; Fejer, M. M.; Fenyvesi, E.; Ferguson, D. L.; Fernandez-Galiana, A.; Ferrante, I.; Ferreira, T. A.; Fidecaro, F.; Figura, P.; Fiori, I.; Fishbach, M.; Fisher, R. P.; Fittipaldi, R.; Fiumara, V.; Flaminio, R.; Floden, E.; Fong, H.; Font, J. A.; Fornal, B.; Forsyth, P. W. F.; Franke, A.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frederick, C.; Freed, J. P.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fronzé, G. G.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gabbard, H. A.; Gadre, B. U.; Gair, J. R.; Gais, J.; Galaudage, S.; Gamba, R.; Ganapathy, D.; Ganguly, A.; Gaonkar, S. G.; Garaventa, B.; García-Núñez, C.; García-Quirós, C.; Garufi, F.; Gateley, B.; Gaudio, S.; Gayathri, V.; Gemme, G.; Gennai, A.; George, J.; Gerberding, O.; Gergely, L.; Gewecke, P.; Ghonge, S.; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, Shaon; Ghosh, Shrobana; Giacomazzo, B.; Giacoppo, L.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Gibson, D. R.; Gier, C.; Giesler, M.; Giri, P.; Gissi, F.; Glanzer, J.; Gleckl, A. E.; Godwin, P.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gohlke, N.; Goncharov, B.; González, G.; Gopakumar, A.; Gosselin, M.; Gouaty, R.; Gould, D. W.; Grace, B.; Grado, A.; Granata, M.; Granata, V.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Grassia, P.; Gray, C.; Gray, R.; Greco, G.; Green, A. C.; Green, R.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Gretarsson, E. M.; Griffith, D.; Griffiths, W.; Griggs, H. L.; Grignani, G.; Grimaldi, A.; Grimm, S. J.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Gruning, P.; Guerra, D.; Guidi, Gianluca; Guimaraes, A. R.; Guixé, G.; Gulati, H. K.; Guo, H.-K.; Guo, Y.; Gupta, Anchal; Gupta, Anuradha; Gupta, P.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Guzman, F.; Haegel, L.; Halim, O.; Hall, E. D.; Hamilton, E. Z.; Hammond, G.; Haney, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hannam, M. D.; Hannuksela, O.; Hansen, H.; Hansen, T. J.; Hanson, J.; Harder, T.; Hardwick, T.; Haris, K.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Hartwig, D.; Haskell, B.; Hasskew, R. K.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Hayes, F. J.; Healy, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heidt, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heinze, J.; Heinzel, J.; Heitmann, H.; Hellman, F.; Hello, P.; Helmling-Cornell, A. F.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Hennes, E.; Hennig, J.; Hennig, M. H.; Hernandez, A. G.; Vivanco, F. Hernandez; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hill, P.; Hines, A. S.; Hochheim, S.; Hofman, D.; Hohmann, J. N.; Holcomb, D. G.; Holland, N. A.; Hollows, I. J.; Holmes, Z. J.; Holt, K.; Holz, D. E.; Hopkins, P.; Hough, J.; Hourihane, S.; Howell, E. J.; Hoy, C. G.; Hoyland, D.; Hreibi, A.; Hsu, Y.; Huang, Y.; Hübner, M. T.; Huddart, A. D.; Hughey, B.; Hui, V.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huxford, R.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Idzkowski, B.; Iess, A.; Ingram, C.; Isi, M.; Isleif, K.; Iyer, B. R.; JaberianHamedan, V.; Jacqmin, T.; Jadhav, S. J.; Jadhav, S. P.; James, A. L.; Jan, A. Z.; Jani, K.; Janquart, J.; Janssens, K.; Janthalur, N. N.; Jaranowski, P.; Jariwala, D.; Jaume, R.; Jenkins, A. C.; Jenner, K.; Jeunon, M.; Jia, W.; Johns, G. R.; Jones, A. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, J. D.; Jones, P.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; Junker, J.; Juste, V.; Kalaghatgi, C. V.; Kalogera, V.; Kamai, B.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kao, Y.; Kapadia, S. J.; Kapasi, D. P.; Karat, S.; Karathanasis, C.; Karki, S.; Kashyap, R.; Kasprzack, M.; Kastaun, W.; Katsanevas, S.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaur, T.; Kawabe, K.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Key, J. S.; Khadka, S.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khan, S.; Khazanov, E. A.; Khetan, N.; Khursheed, M.; Kijbunchoo, N.; Kim, C.; Kim, J. C.; Kim, K.; Kim, W. S.; Kim, Y.-M.; Kimball, C.; Kinley-Hanlon, M.; Kirchhoff, R.; Kissel, J. S.; Kleybolte, L.; Klimenko, S.; Knee, A. M.; Knowles, T. D.; Knyazev, E.; Koch, P.; Koekoek, G.; Koley, S.; Kolitsidou, P.; Kolstein, M.; Komori, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Kontos, A.; Koper, N.; Korobko, M.; Kovalam, M.; Kozak, D. B.; Kringel, V.; Krishnendu, N. V.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kuei, F.; Kuijer, P.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, Rahul; Kumar, Rakesh; Kuns, K.; Kuwahara, S.; Lagabbe, P.; Laghi, D.; Lalande, E.; Lam, T. L.; Lamberts, A.; Landry, M.; Lane, B. B.; Lang, R. N.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; La Rosa, I.; Lartaux-Vollard, A.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lecoeuche, Y. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, H. W.; Lee, J.; Lee, K.; Lehmann, J.; Lemaître, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levesque, C.; Levin, Y.; Leviton, J. N.; Leyde, K.; Li, A. K. Y.; Li, B.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Li, X.; Linde, F.; Linker, S. D.; Linley, J. N.; Littenberg, T. B.; Liu, J.; Liu, K.; Liu, X.; Llamas, F.; Llorens-Monteagudo, M.; Lo, R. K. L.; Lockwood, A.; London, L. T.; Longo, A.; Lopez, D.; Portilla, M. Lopez; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lott, T. P.; Lough, J. D.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Lucaccioni, J. F.; Lück, H.; Lumaca, D.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynam, J. E.; Macas, R.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; MacMillan, I. A. O.; Macquet, A.; Hernandez, I. Magaña; Magazzù, C.; Magee, R. M.; Maggiore, R.; Magnozzi, M.; Mahesh, S.; Majorana, E.; Makarem, C.; Maksimovic, I.; Maliakal, S.; Malik, A.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mango, J. L.; Mansell, G. L.; Manske, M.; Mantovani, M.; Mapelli, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Mark, Z.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markakis, C.; Markosyan, A. S.; Markowitz, A.; Maros, E.; Marquina, A.; Marsat, S.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinez, M.; Martinez, V. A.; Martinez, V.; Martinovic, K.; Martynov, D. V.; Marx, E. J.; Masalehdan, H.; Mason, K.; Massera, E.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Masso-Reid, M.; Mastrogiovanni, S.; Matas, A.; Mateu-Lucena, M.; Matichard, F.; Matiushechkina, M.; Mavalvala, N.; McCann, J. J.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McClincy, P. K.; McCormick, S.; McCuller, L.; McGhee, G. I.; McGuire, S. C.; McIsaac, C.; McIver, J.; McRae, T.; McWilliams, S. T.; Meacher, D.; Mehmet, M.; Mehta, A. K.; Meijer, Q.; Melatos, A.; Melchor, D. A.; Mendell, G.; Menendez-Vazquez, A.; Menoni, C. S.; Mercer, R. A.; Mereni, L.; Merfeld, K.; Merilh, E. L.; Merritt, J. D.; Merzougui, M.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Messick, C.; Meyers, P. M.; Meylahn, F.; Mhaske, A.; Miani, A.; Miao, H.; Michaloliakos, I.; Michel, C.; Middleton, H.; Milano, L.; Miller, A.; Miller, A. L.; Miller, B.; Millhouse, M.; Mills, J. C.; Milotti, E.; Minazzoli, O.; Minenkov, Y.; Mir, Ll. M.; Miravet-Tenés, M.; Mishra, C.; Mishra, T.; Mistry, T.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Mo, Geoffrey; Moguel, E.; Mogushi, K.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Mohite, S. R.; Molina, I.; Molina-Ruiz, M.; Mondin, M.; Montani, M.; Moore, C. J.; Moraru, D.; Morawski, F.; More, A.; Moreno, C.; Moreno, G.; Morisaki, S.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mozzon, S.; Muciaccia, F.; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D.; Mukherjee, Soma; Mukherjee, Subroto; Mukherjee, Suvodip; Mukund, N.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Muñiz, E. A.; Murray, P. G.; Musenich, R.; Muusse, S.; Nadji, S. L.; Nagar, A.; Napolano, V.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, B.; Nayak, R. K.; Neil, B. F.; Neilson, J.; Nelemans, G.; Nelson, T. J. N.; Nery, M.; Neubauer, P.; Neunzert, A.; Ng, K. Y.; Ng, S. W. S.; Nguyen, C.; Nguyen, P.; Nguyen, T.; Nichols, S. A.; Nissanke, S.; Nitoglia, E.; Nocera, F.; Norman, M.; North, C.; Nuttall, L. K.; Oberling, J.; O’Brien, B. D.; O’Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oganesyan, G.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Ohta, H.; Okada, M. A.; Olivetto, C.; Oram, R.; O’Reilly, B.; Ormiston, R. G.; Ormsby, N. D.; Ortega, L. F.; O’Shaughnessy, R.; O’Shea, E.; Ossokine, S.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Overmier, H.; Pace, A. E.; Pagano, G.; Page, M. A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Pai, A.; Pai, S. A.; Palamos, J. R.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Panda, P. K.; Pang, P. T. H.; Pankow, C.; Pannarale, F.; Pant, B. C.; Panther, F. H.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Paolone, A.; Park, H.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, M.; Pathak, M.; Patricelli, B.; Patron, A. S.; Paul, S.; Payne, E.; 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A joint fermi-gbm and ligo/virgo analysis of compact binary mergers from the first and second gravitational-wave observing runs

We present results from offline searches of Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) data for gamma-ray transients coincident with the compact binary coalescences observed by the gravitational-wave (GW) detectors Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo during their first and second observing runs. In particular, we perform follow-up for both confirmed events and low significance candidates reported in the LIGO/Virgo catalog GWTC-1. We search for temporal coincidences between these GW signals and GBM-triggered gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We also use the GBM Untargeted and Targeted subthreshold searches to find coincident gamma-rays below the onboard triggering threshold. This work implements a refined statistical approach by incorporating GW astrophysical source probabilities and GBM visibilities of LIGO/Virgo sky localizations to search for cumulative signatures of coincident subthreshold gamma-rays. All search methods recover the short gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A occurring ∼1.7 s after the binary neutron-star merger GW170817. We also present results from a new search seeking GBM counterparts to LIGO single-interferometer triggers. This search finds a candidate joint event, but given the nature of the GBM signal and localization, as well as the high joint false alarm rate of 1.1 10-6 Hz, we do not consider it an astrophysical association. We find no additional coincidences

FIRST SEARCHES FOR OPTICAL COUNTERPARTS TO GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE CANDIDATE EVENTS

During the LIGO and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transmitted to several telescopes for follow-up observations aimed at the detection of an associated optical transient. Images were obtained for eight such GW candidates. We present the methods used to analyze the image data as well as the transient search results. No optical transient was identified with a convincing association with any of these candidates, and none of the GW triggers showed strong evidence for being astrophysical in nature. We compare the sensitivities of these observations to several model light curves from possible sources of interest, and discuss prospects for future joint GW-optical observations of this type

A Gravitational-wave Measurement of the Hubble Constant Following the Second Observing Run of Advanced LIGO and Virgo

Abstract: This paper presents the gravitational-wave measurement of the Hubble constant (H 0) using the detections from the first and second observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detector network. The presence of the transient electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star GW170817 led to the first standard-siren measurement of H 0. Here we additionally use binary black hole detections in conjunction with galaxy catalogs and report a joint measurement. Our updated measurement is H 0 = 69−8+16 km s−1 Mpc−1 (68.3% of the highest density posterior interval with a flat-in-log prior) which is an improvement by a factor of 1.04 (about 4%) over the GW170817-only value of 69−8+17 km s−1 Mpc−1. A significant additional contribution currently comes from GW170814, a loud and well-localized detection from a part of the sky thoroughly covered by the Dark Energy Survey. With numerous detections anticipated over the upcoming years, an exhaustive understanding of other systematic effects are also going to become increasingly important. These results establish the path to cosmology using gravitational-wave observations with and without transient electromagnetic counterparts

A Gravitational-wave Measurement of the Hubble Constant Following the Second Observing Run of Advanced LIGO and Virgo

Abstract: This paper presents the gravitational-wave measurement of the Hubble constant (H 0) using the detections from the first and second observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detector network. The presence of the transient electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star GW170817 led to the first standard-siren measurement of H 0. Here we additionally use binary black hole detections in conjunction with galaxy catalogs and report a joint measurement. Our updated measurement is H 0 = 69−8+16 km s−1 Mpc−1 (68.3% of the highest density posterior interval with a flat-in-log prior) which is an improvement by a factor of 1.04 (about 4%) over the GW170817-only value of 69−8+17 km s−1 Mpc−1. A significant additional contribution currently comes from GW170814, a loud and well-localized detection from a part of the sky thoroughly covered by the Dark Energy Survey. With numerous detections anticipated over the upcoming years, an exhaustive understanding of other systematic effects are also going to become increasingly important. These results establish the path to cosmology using gravitational-wave observations with and without transient electromagnetic counterparts