763 research outputs found
Selective readout and back-action reduction for wideband acoustic gravitational wave detectors
We present the concept of selective readout for broadband resonant mass
gravitational wave detectors. This detection scheme is capable of specifically
selecting the signal from the contributions of the vibrational modes sensitive
to the gravitational waves, and efficiently rejecting the contribution from non
gravitationally sensitive modes. Moreover this readout, applied to a dual
detector, is capable to give an effective reduction of the back-action noise
within the frequency band of interest. The overall effect is a significant
enhancement in the predicted sensitivity, evaluated at the standard quantum
limit for a dual torus detector. A molybdenum detector, 1 m in diameter and
equipped with a wide area selective readout, would reach spectral strain
sensitivities 2x10^{-23}/sqrt{Hz} between 2-6 kHz.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Robust vetoes for gravitational-wave burst triggers using known instrumental couplings
The search for signatures of transient, unmodelled gravitational-wave (GW)
bursts in the data of ground-based interferometric detectors typically uses
`excess-power' search methods. One of the most challenging problems in the
burst-data-analysis is to distinguish between actual GW bursts and spurious
noise transients that trigger the detection algorithms. In this paper, we
present a unique and robust strategy to `veto' the instrumental glitches. This
method makes use of the phenomenological understanding of the coupling of
different detector sub-systems to the main detector output. The main idea
behind this method is that the noise at the detector output (channel H) can be
projected into two orthogonal directions in the Fourier space -- along, and
orthogonal to, the direction in which the noise in an instrumental channel X
would couple into H. If a noise transient in the detector output originates
from channel X, it leaves the statistics of the noise-component of H orthogonal
to X unchanged, which can be verified by a statistical hypothesis testing. This
strategy is demonstrated by doing software injections in simulated Gaussian
noise. We also formulate a less-rigorous, but computationally inexpensive
alternative to the above method. Here, the parameters of the triggers in
channel X are compared to the parameters of the triggers in channel H to see
whether a trigger in channel H can be `explained' by a trigger in channel X and
the measured transfer function.Comment: 14 Pages, 8 Figures, To appear in Class. Quantum Gra
Feedback cooling of the normal modes of a massive electromechanical system to submillikelvin temperature
We apply a feedback cooling technique to simultaneously cool the three
electromechanical normal modes of the ton-scale resonant-bar gravitational wave
detector AURIGA. The measuring system is based on a dc Superconducting Quantum
Interference Device (SQUID) amplifier, and the feedback cooling is applied
electronically to the input circuit of the SQUID. Starting from a bath
temperature of 4.2 K, we achieve a minimum temperature of 0.17 mK for the
coolest normal mode. The same technique, implemented in a dedicated experiment
at subkelvin bath temperature and with a quantum limited SQUID, could allow to
approach the quantum ground state of a kilogram-scale mechanical resonator.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Correlation between Gamma-Ray bursts and Gravitational Waves
The cosmological origin of -ray bursts (GRBs) is now commonly
accepted and, according to several models for the central engine, GRB sources
should also emit at the same time gravitational waves bursts (GWBs). We have
performed two correlation searches between the data of the resonant
gravitational wave detector AURIGA and GRB arrival times collected in the BATSE
4B catalog. No correlation was found and an upper limit \bbox{} on the averaged amplitude of gravitational waves
associated with -ray bursts has been set for the first time.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
ON-LINE CONSISTENCY TESTS FOR BAR DETECTORS
In order to detect gravitational wave signals with resonant bar detectors using Wiener–Kolmogorov (WK) filters, both a model for the power spectrum density (PSD) of the noise and a signal template should be provided. As the analysis is not meant to handle non-gaussian data, we have to discriminate (and constrain to) time periods where the noise follows a quasi-stationary gaussian model. Within these periods, candidate events are selected in the WK filter output, and their fundamental parameters (time of arrival and amplitude) are computed. A necessary and sufficient condition for the reliability of such estimates is the consistency of the signal shape with the template. This is done performing a goodness-of-the-fit test
Wideband dual sphere detector of gravitational waves
We present the concept of a sensitive AND broadband resonant mass
gravitational wave detector. A massive sphere is suspended inside a second
hollow one. Short, high-finesse Fabry-Perot optical cavities read out the
differential displacements of the two spheres as their quadrupole modes are
excited. At cryogenic temperatures one approaches the Standard Quantum Limit
for broadband operation with reasonable choices for the cavity finesses and the
intracavity light power. A molybdenum detector of overall size of 2 m, would
reach spectral strain sensitivities of 2x10^-23/Sqrt{Hz} between 1000 Hz and
3000 Hz.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Changed content. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Testing of optimal filters for gravitational wave signals: An experimental implementation
We have implemented likelihood testing of the performance of an optimal filter within the online analysis of AURIGA, a sub-Kelvin resonant-bar gravitational wave detector. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique in discriminating between impulsive mechanical excitations of the resonant-bar and other spurious excitations. This technique also ensures the accuracy of the estimated parameters such as the signal-to-noise ratio. The efficiency of the technique to deal with non-stationary noise and its application to data from a network of detectors are also discussed
IGEC2: A 17-month search for gravitational wave bursts in 2005-2007
We present here the results of a 515 days long run of the IGEC2 observatory,
consisting of the four resonant mass detectors ALLEGRO, AURIGA, EXPLORER and
NAUTILUS. The reported results are related to the fourfold observation time
from Nov. 6 2005 until Apr. 14 2007, when Allegro ceased its operation. This
period overlapped with the first long term observations performed by the LIGO
interferometric detectors. The IGEC observations aim at the identification of
gravitational wave candidates with high confidence, keeping the false alarm
rate at the level of 1 per century, and high duty cycle, namely 57% with all
four sites and 94% with at least three sites in simultaneous observation. The
network data analysis is based on time coincidence searches over at least three
detectors: the four 3-fold searches and the 4-fold one are combined in a
logical OR. We exchanged data with the usual blind procedure, by applying a
unique confidential time offset to the events in each set of data. The
accidental background was investigated by performing sets of 10^8 coincidence
analyses per each detector configuration on off-source data, obtained by
shifting the time series of each detector. The thresholds of the five searches
were tuned so as to control the overall false alarm rate to 1/century. When the
confidential time shifts was disclosed, no gravitational wave candidate was
found in the on-source data. As an additional output of this search, we make
available to other observatories the list of triple coincidence found below
search thresholds, corresponding to a false alarm rate of 1/month.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures Accepted for publication on Phys. Rev.
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