99 research outputs found
The GstLAL Search Analysis Methods for Compact Binary Mergers in Advanced LIGO's Second and Advanced Virgo's First Observing Runs
After their successful first observing run (September 12, 2015 - January 12,
2016), the Advanced LIGO detectors were upgraded to increase their sensitivity
for the second observing run (November 30, 2016 - August 26, 2017). The
Advanced Virgo detector joined the second observing run on August 1, 2017. We
discuss the updates that happened during this period in the GstLAL-based
inspiral pipeline, which is used to detect gravitational waves from the
coalescence of compact binaries both in low latency and an offline
configuration. These updates include deployment of a zero-latency whitening
filter to reduce the over-all latency of the pipeline by up to 32 seconds,
incorporation of the Virgo data stream in the analysis, introduction of a
single-detector search to analyze data from the periods when only one of the
detectors is running, addition of new parameters to the likelihood ratio
ranking statistic, increase in the parameter space of the search, and
introduction of a template mass-dependent glitch-excision thresholding method.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev. D, comments
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The GstLAL template bank for spinning compact binary mergers in the second observation run of Advanced LIGO and Virgo
We describe the methods used to construct the aligned-spin template bank of
gravitational waveforms used by the GstLAL-based inspiral pipeline to analyze
data from the second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Virgo. The bank expands
upon the parameter space covered during the first observing run, including
coverage for merging compact binary systems with total mass between 2
and 400 and mass ratios between 1 and
97.989. Thus the systems targeted include merging neutron star-neutron star
systems, neutron star-black hole binaries, and black hole-black hole binaries
expanding into the intermediate-mass range. Component masses less than 2
have allowed (anti-)aligned spins between while
component masses greater than 2 have allowed
(anti-)aligned between . The bank placement technique combines a
stochastic method with a new grid-bank method to better isolate noisy
templates, resulting in a total of 677,000 templates.Comment: 9 pages, 13 figure
BPS String Solutions in Non-Abelian Yang-Mills Theories and Confinement
Starting from the bosonic part of N=2 Super QCD with a 'Seiberg-Witten' N=2
breaking mass term, we obtain string BPS conditions for arbitrary semi-simple
gauge groups. We show that the vacuum structure is compatible with a symmetry
breaking scheme which allows the existence of Z_k-strings and which has
Spin(10) -> SU(5) x Z_2 as a particular case. We obtain BPS Z_k-string
solutions and show that they satisfy the same first order differential
equations as the BPS string for the U(1) case. We also show that the string
tension is constant, which may cause a confining potential between monopoles
increasing linearly with their distance.Comment: 11 pages, Latex. Minor changes to the text. Final version to appear
in Phys. Rev.
Low-latency gravitational wave alert products and their performance in anticipation of the fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run
Multi-messenger searches for binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron star-black
hole (NSBH) mergers are currently one of the most exciting areas of astronomy.
The search for joint electromagnetic and neutrino counterparts to gravitational
wave (GW)s has resumed with Advanced LIGO (aLIGO)'s, Advanced Virgo (AdVirgo)'s
and KAGRA's fourth observing run (O4). To support this effort, public
semi-automated data products are sent in near real-time and include
localization and source properties to guide complementary observations.
Subsequent refinements, as and when available, are also relayed as updates. In
preparation for O4, we have conducted a study using a simulated population of
compact binaries and a Mock Data Challenge (MDC) in the form of a real-time
replay to optimize and profile the software infrastructure and scientific
deliverables. End-to-end performance was tested, including data ingestion,
running online search pipelines, performing annotations, and issuing alerts to
the astrophysics community. In this paper, we present an overview of the
low-latency infrastructure as well as an overview of the performance of the
data products to be released during O4 based on a MDC. We report on expected
median latencies for the preliminary alert of full bandwidth searches (29.5 s)
and for the creation of early warning triggers (-3.1 s), and show consistency
and accuracy of released data products using the MDC. This paper provides a
performance overview for LVK low-latency alert structure and data products
using the MDC in anticipation of O4
Sensitivity of the Advanced LIGO detectors at the beginning of gravitational wave astronomy
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two widely separated 4 km laser interferometers designed to detect gravitational waves from distant astrophysical sources in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 10 kHz. The first observation run of the Advanced LIGO detectors started in September 2015 and ended in January 2016. A strain sensitivity of better than 10−23/Hz−−−√ was achieved around 100 Hz. Understanding both the fundamental and the technical noise sources was critical for increasing the astrophysical strain sensitivity. The average distance at which coalescing binary black hole systems with individual masses of 30 M⊙ could be detected above a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 8 was 1.3 Gpc, and the range for binary neutron star inspirals was about 75 Mpc. With respect to the initial detectors, the observable volume of the Universe increased by a factor 69 and 43, respectively. These improvements helped Advanced LIGO to detect the gravitational wave signal from the binary black hole coalescence, known as GW150914
Search for post-merger gravitational waves from the remnant of the binary neutron star merger GW170817
In Advanced LIGO, detection and astrophysical source parameter estimation of the binary black hole merger GW150914 requires a calibrated estimate of the gravitational-wave strain sensed by the detectors. Producing an estimate from each detector's differential arm length control loop readout signals requires applying time domain filters, which are designed from a frequency domain model of the detector's gravitational-wave response. The gravitational-wave response model is determined by the detector's opto-mechanical response and the properties of its feedback control system. The measurements used to validate the model and characterize its uncertainty are derived primarily from a dedicated photon radiation pressure actuator, with cross-checks provided by optical and radio frequency references. We describe how the gravitational-wave readout signal is calibrated into equivalent gravitational-wave-induced strain and how the statistical uncertainties and systematic errors are assessed. Detector data collected over 38 calendar days, from September 12 to October 20, 2015, contain the event GW150914 and approximately 16 of coincident data used to estimate the event false alarm probability. The calibration uncertainty is less than 10% in magnitude and 10 degrees in phase across the relevant frequency band 20 Hz to 1 kHz
Supplement: "Localization and broadband follow-up of the gravitational-wave transient GW150914" (2016, ApJL, 826, L13)
This Supplement provides supporting material for Abbott et al. (2016a). We briefly summarize past electromagnetic (EM) follow-up efforts as well as the organization and policy of the current EM follow-up program. We compare the four probability sky maps produced for the gravitational-wave transient GW150914, and provide additional details of the EM follow-up observations that were performed in the different bands
First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data
In Advanced LIGO, detection and astrophysical source parameter estimation of the binary black hole merger GW150914 requires a calibrated estimate of the gravitational-wave strain sensed by the detectors. Producing an estimate from each detector's differential arm length control loop readout signals requires applying time domain filters, which are designed from a frequency domain model of the detector's gravitational-wave response. The gravitational-wave response model is determined by the detector's opto-mechanical response and the properties of its feedback control system. The measurements used to validate the model and characterize its uncertainty are derived primarily from a dedicated photon radiation pressure actuator, with cross-checks provided by optical and radio frequency references. We describe how the gravitational-wave readout signal is calibrated into equivalent gravitational-wave-induced strain and how the statistical uncertainties and systematic errors are assessed. Detector data collected over 38 calendar days, from September 12 to October 20, 2015, contain the event GW150914 and approximately 16 of coincident data used to estimate the event false alarm probability. The calibration uncertainty is less than 10% in magnitude and 10 degrees in phase across the relevant frequency band 20 Hz to 1 kHz
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