375 research outputs found
Random template banks and relaxed lattice coverings
Template-based searches for gravitational waves are often limited by the
computational cost associated with searching large parameter spaces. The study
of efficient template banks, in the sense of using the smallest number of
templates, is therefore of great practical interest. The "traditional" approach
to template-bank construction requires every point in parameter space to be
covered by at least one template, which rapidly becomes inefficient at higher
dimensions. Here we study an alternative approach, where any point in parameter
space is covered only with a given probability < 1. We find that by giving up
complete coverage in this way, large reductions in the number of templates are
possible, especially at higher dimensions. The prime examples studied here are
"random template banks", in which templates are placed randomly with uniform
probability over the parameter space. In addition to its obvious simplicity,
this method turns out to be surprisingly efficient. We analyze the statistical
properties of such random template banks, and compare their efficiency to
traditional lattice coverings. We further study "relaxed" lattice coverings
(using Zn and An* lattices), which similarly cover any signal location only
with probability < 1. The relaxed An* lattice is found to yield the most
efficient template banks at low dimensions (n < 10), while random template
banks increasingly outperform any other method at higher dimensions.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR
Searching for Galactic White Dwarf Binaries in Mock LISA Data using an F-Statistic Template Bank
We describe an F-statistic search for continuous gravitational waves from
galactic white-dwarf binaries in simulated LISA Data. Our search method employs
a hierarchical template-grid based exploration of the parameter space. In the
first stage, candidate sources are identified in searches using different
simulated laser signal combinations (known as TDI variables). Since each source
generates a primary maximum near its true "Doppler parameters" (intrinsic
frequency and sky position) as well as numerous secondary maxima of the
F-statistic in Doppler parameter space, a search for multiple sources needs to
distinguish between true signals and secondary maxima associated with other,
"louder" signals. Our method does this by applying a coincidence test to reject
candidates which are not found at nearby parameter space positions in searches
using each of the three TDI variables. For signals surviving the coincidence
test, we perform a fully coherent search over a refined parameter grid to
provide an accurate parameter estimation for the final candidates. Suitably
tuned, the pipeline is able to extract 1989 true signals with only 5 false
alarms. The use of the rigid adiabatic approximation allows recovery of signal
parameters with errors comparable to statistical expectations, although there
is still some systematic excess with respect to statistical errors expected
from Gaussian noise. An experimental iterative pipeline with seven rounds of
signal subtraction and re-analysis of the residuals allows us to increase the
number of signals recovered to a total of 3419 with 29 false alarms.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures; submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Implementation and characterization of BinaryWeave: A new search pipeline for continuous gravitational waves from Scorpius X-1
Scorpius X-1 (Sco X-1) has long been considered one of the most promising targets for detecting continuous gravitational waves with ground-based detectors. Observational searches for Sco X-1 have achieved substantial sensitivity improvements in recent years, to the point of starting to rule out emission at the torque-balance limit in the low-frequency range \sim 40--180 Hz. In order to further enhance the detection probability, however, there is still much ground to cover for the full range of plausible signal frequencies \sim 20--1500 Hz, as well as a wider range of uncertainties in binary orbital parameters. Motivated by this challenge, we have developed BinaryWeave, a new search pipeline for continuous waves from a neutron star in a known binary system such as Sco X-1. This pipeline employs a semi-coherent StackSlide F-statistic using efficient lattice-based metric template banks, which can cover wide ranges in frequency and unknown orbital parameters. We present a detailed timing model and extensive injection-and-recovery simulations that illustrate that the pipeline can achieve high detection sensitivities over a significant portion of the parameter space when assuming sufficiently large (but realistic) computing budgets. Our studies further underline the need for stricter constraints on the Sco X-1 orbital parameters from electromagnetic observations, in order to be able to push sensitivity below the torque-balance limit over the entire range of possible source parameters
Targeted search for continuous gravitational waves: Bayesian versus maximum-likelihood statistics
We investigate the Bayesian framework for detection of continuous
gravitational waves (GWs) in the context of targeted searches, where the phase
evolution of the GW signal is assumed to be known, while the four amplitude
parameters are unknown. We show that the orthodox maximum-likelihood statistic
(known as F-statistic) can be rediscovered as a Bayes factor with an unphysical
prior in amplitude parameter space. We introduce an alternative detection
statistic ("B-statistic") using the Bayes factor with a more natural amplitude
prior, namely an isotropic probability distribution for the orientation of GW
sources. Monte-Carlo simulations of targeted searches show that the resulting
Bayesian B-statistic is more powerful in the Neyman-Pearson sense (i.e. has a
higher expected detection probability at equal false-alarm probability) than
the frequentist F-statistic.Comment: 12 pages, presented at GWDAW13, to appear in CQ
Entrainment coefficient and effective mass for conduction neutrons in neutron star crust: II Macroscopic treatment
Phenomena such as pulsar frequency glitches are believed to be attributable
to differential rotation of a current of ``free'' superfluid neutrons at
densities above the ``drip'' threshold in the ionic crust of a neutron star.
Such relative flow is shown to be locally describable by adaption of a
canonical two fluid treatment that emphasizes the role of the momentum
covectors constructed by differentiation of action with respect to the
currents, with allowance for stratification whereby the ionic number current
may be conserved even when the ionic charge number Z is altered by beta
processes. It is demonstrated that the gauge freedom to make different choices
of the chemical basis determining which neutrons are counted as ``free'' does
not affect their ``superfluid'' momentum covector, which must locally have the
form of a gradient (though it does affect the ``normal'' momentum covector
characterising the protons and those neutrons that are considered to be
``confined'' in the nuclei). It is shown how the effect of ``entrainment''
(whereby the momentum directions deviate from those of the currents) is
controlled by the (gauge independent) mobility coefficient K, estimated in
recent microscopical quantum mechanical investigations, which suggest that the
corresponding (gauge dependent) ``effective mass'' m* of the free neutrons can
become very large in some layers. The relation between this treatment of the
crust layers and related work (using different definitions of ``effective
mass'') intended for the deeper core layers is discussed.Comment: 21 pages Latex. Part II of article whose Part I (Simple microscopic
models) is given by nucl-th/0402057. New version extended to include figure
Building a stochastic template bank for detecting massive black hole binaries
Coalescence of two massive black holes is the strongest and most promising
source for LISA. In fact, gravitational signal from the end of inspiral and
merger will be detectable throughout the Universe. In this article we describe
the first step in the two-step hierarchical search for gravitational wave
signal from the inspiraling massive BH binaries. It is based on the routinely
used in the ground base gravitational wave astronomy method of filtering the
data through the bank of templates. However we use a novel Monte-Carlo based
(stochastic) method to lay a grid in the parameter space, and we use the
likelihood maximized analytically over some parameters, known as F-statistic,
as a detection statistic. We build a coarse template bank to detect
gravitational wave signals and to make preliminary parameter estimation. The
best candidates will be followed up using Metropolis-Hasting stochastic search
to refine the parameter estimation. We demonstrate the performance of the
method by applying it to the Mock LISA data challenge 1B (training data set).Comment: revtex4, 8 figure
Directed searches for continuous gravitational waves from binary systems: Parameter-space metrics and optimal Scorpius X-1 sensitivity
General-Relativistic Curvature of Pulsar Vortex Structure
The motion of a neutron superfluid condensate in a pulsar is studied. Several
theorems of general-relativistic hydrodynamics are proved for a superfluid. The
average density distribution of vortex lines in pulsars and their
general-relativistic curvature are derived.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure
Constraints on r-modes and mountains on millisecond neutron stars in binary systems
Continuous gravitational waves are nearly monochromatic signals emitted by
asymmetries in rotating neutron stars. These signals have not yet been
detected. Deep all-sky searches for continuous gravitational waves from
isolated neutron stars require significant computational expense. Deep searches
for neutron stars in binary systems are even more expensive, but potentially
these targets are more promising emitters, especially in the hundreds-Hz
region, where ground-based gravitational wave detectors are most sensitive. We
present here an all-sky search for continuous signals with frequency between
300 and 500 Hz, from neutron stars in binary systems with orbital period
between 15 and 60 days, and projected semi-major axis between 10 and 40
light-seconds. This is the only binary search on Advanced-LIGO data that probes
this frequency range. Compared to previous results, our search is over an order
of magnitude more sensitive. We do not detect any signals, but our results
exclude plausible and unexplored neutron star configurations, for example,
neutron stars with relative deformations greater than 3e-6 within 1 kpc from
Earth and r-mode emission at the level of alpha ~ few 1e-4 within the same
distance.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Gravitational wave background from rotating neutron stars
The background of gravitational waves produced by the ensemble of rotating
neutron stars (which includes pulsars, magnetars and gravitars) is
investigated. A formula for \Omega(f) (commonly used to quantify the
background) is derived, properly taking into account the time evolution of the
systems since their formation until the present day. Moreover, the formula
allows one to distinguish the different parts of the background: the
unresolvable (which forms a stochastic background) and the resolvable. Several
estimations of the background are obtained, for different assumptions on the
parameters that characterize neutron stars and their population. In particular,
different initial spin period distributions lead to very different results. For
one of the models, with slow initial spins, the detection of the background can
be rejected. However, other models do predict the detection of the background
by the future ground-based gravitational wave detector ET. A robust upper limit
for the background of rotating neutron stars is obtained; it does not exceed
the detection threshold of two cross-correlated Advanced LIGO interferometers.
If gravitars exist and constitute more than a few percent of the neutron star
population, then they produce an unresolvable background that could be detected
by ET. Under the most reasonable assumptions on the parameters characterizing a
neutron star, the background is too faint. Previous papers have suggested
neutron star models in which large magnetic fields (like the ones that
characterize magnetars) induce big deformations in the star, which produce a
stronger emission of gravitational radiation. Considering the most optimistic
(in terms of the detection of gravitational waves) of these models, an upper
limit for the background produced by magnetars is obtained; it could be
detected by ET, but not by BBO or DECIGO.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figure
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