Efficient generation and optimization of stochastic template banks by a neighboring cell algorithm

Placing signal templates (grid points) as efficiently as possible to cover a multi-dimensional parameter space is crucial in computing-intensive matched-filtering searches for gravitational waves, but also in similar searches in other fields of astronomy. To generate efficient coverings of arbitrary parameter spaces, stochastic template banks have been advocated, where templates are placed at random while rejecting those too close to others. However, in this simple scheme, for each new random point its distance to every template in the existing bank is computed. This rapidly increasing number of distance computations can render the acceptance of new templates computationally prohibitive, particularly for wide parameter spaces or in large dimensions. This work presents a neighboring cell algorithm that can dramatically improve the efficiency of constructing a stochastic template bank. By dividing the parameter space into sub-volumes (cells), for an arbitrary point an efficient hashing technique is exploited to obtain the index of its enclosing cell along with the parameters of its neighboring templates. Hence only distances to these neighboring templates in the bank are computed, massively lowering the overall computing cost, as demonstrated in simple examples. Furthermore, we propose a novel method based on this technique to increase the fraction of covered parameter space solely by directed template shifts, without adding any templates. As is demonstrated in examples, this method can be highly effective..Comment: PRD accepte

Strongly correlated systems in ultracold quantum gases

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Reducing the number of templates for aligned-spin compact binary coalescence gravitational wave searches using metric-agnostic template nudging

Efficient multi-dimensional template placement is crucial in computationally intensive matched-filtering searches for Gravitational Waves (GWs). Here, we implement the Neighboring Cell Algorithm (NCA) to improve the detection volume of an existing Compact Binary Coalescence (CBC) template bank. This algorithm has already been successfully applied for a binary millisecond pulsar search in data from the Fermi satellite. It repositions templates from over-dense regions to under-dense regions and reduces the number of templates that would have been required by a stochastic method to achieve the same detection volume. Our method is readily generalizable to other CBC parameter spaces. Here we apply this method to the aligned--single-spin neutron-star--black-hole binary coalescence inspiral-merger-ringdown gravitational wave parameter space. We show that the template nudging algorithm can attain the equivalent effectualness of the stochastic method with 12% fewer templates

Quantum state preparation and macroscopic entanglement in gravitational-wave detectors

Long-baseline laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors are operating at a factor of 10 (in amplitude) above the standard quantum limit (SQL) within a broad frequency band. Such a low classical noise budget has already allowed the creation of a controlled 2.7 kg macroscopic oscillator with an effective eigenfrequency of 150 Hz and an occupation number of 200. This result, along with the prospect for further improvements, heralds the new possibility of experimentally probing macroscopic quantum mechanics (MQM) - quantum mechanical behavior of objects in the realm of everyday experience - using gravitational-wave detectors. In this paper, we provide the mathematical foundation for the first step of a MQM experiment: the preparation of a macroscopic test mass into a nearly minimum-Heisenberg-limited Gaussian quantum state, which is possible if the interferometer's classical noise beats the SQL in a broad frequency band. Our formalism, based on Wiener filtering, allows a straightforward conversion from the classical noise budget of a laser interferometer, in terms of noise spectra, into the strategy for quantum state preparation, and the quality of the prepared state. Using this formalism, we consider how Gaussian entanglement can be built among two macroscopic test masses, and the performance of the planned Advanced LIGO interferometers in quantum-state preparation

Search for gravitational waves from low mass compact binary coalescence in LIGO's sixth science run and Virgo's science runs 2 and 3

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009, and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and 25M⊙; this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up to 40 Mpc distant for binary neutron stars, and further for higher mass systems. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass, including the results from previous LIGO and Virgo observations. The cumulative 90% confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of binary neutron star, neutron star-black hole, and binary black hole systems are 1.3×10−4, 3.1×10−5, and 6.4×10−6  Mpc−3 yr−1, respectively. These upper limits are up to a factor 1.4 lower than previously derived limits. We also report on results from a blind injection challenge. © 2012 The American Physical Societ

All-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the full S5 LIGO data

We report on an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency band 50–800 Hz and with the frequency time derivative in the range of 0 through −6×10−9  Hz/s. Such a signal could be produced by a nearby spinning and slightly nonaxisymmetric isolated neutron star in our Galaxy. After recent improvements in the search program that yielded a 10× increase in computational efficiency, we have searched in two years of data collected during LIGO’s fifth science run and have obtained the most sensitive all-sky upper limits on gravitational-wave strain to date. Near 150 Hz our upper limit on worst-case linearly polarized strain amplitude h0 is 1×10−24, while at the high end of our frequency range we achieve a worst-case upper limit of 3.8×10−24 for all polarizations and sky locations. These results constitute a factor of 2 improvement upon previously published data. A new detection pipeline utilizing a loosely coherent algorithm was able to follow up weaker outliers, increasing the volume of space where signals can be detected by a factor of 10, but has not revealed any gravitational-wave signals. The pipeline has been tested for robustness with respect to deviations from the model of an isolated neutron star, such as caused by a low-mass or long-period binary companion. © 2012 The American Physical Societ

Search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence in LIGO and Virgo data from S5 and VSR1

We report the results of the first search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence using data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and Virgo detectors. Five months of data were collected during the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory’s S5 and Virgo’s VSR1 science runs. The search focused on signals from binary mergers with a total mass between 2 and 35M⊙. No gravitational waves are identified. The cumulative 90%-confidence upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence are calculated for nonspinning binary neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems, and binary black holes to be 8.7×10−3  yr−1 L10−1, 2.2×10−3  yr−1 L10−1, and 4.4×10−4  yr−1 L10−1, respectively, where L10 is 1010 times the blue solar luminosity. These upper limits are compared with astrophysical expectations. © 2010 The American Physical Societ

Search for gravitational waves from intermediate mass binary black holes

We present the results of a weakly modeled burst search for gravitational waves from mergers of nonspinning intermediate mass black holes in the total mass range 100–450  M⊙ and with the component mass ratios between 1∶1 and 4∶1. The search was conducted on data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between November of 2005 and October of 2007. No plausible signals were observed by the search which constrains the astrophysical rates of the intermediate mass black holes mergers as a function of the component masses. In the most efficiently detected bin centered on 88+88  M⊙, for nonspinning sources, the rate density upper limit is 0.13 per Mpc3 per Myr at the 90% confidence level. © 2012 The American Physical Societ

Upper limits on a stochastic gravitational-wave background using LIGO and Virgo interferometers at 600-1000 Hz

A stochastic background of gravitational waves is expected to arise from a superposition of many incoherent sources of gravitational waves, of either cosmological or astrophysical origin. This background is a target for the current generation of ground-based detectors. In this article we present the first joint search for a stochastic background using data from the LIGO and Virgo interferometers. In a frequency band of 600–1000 Hz, we obtained a 95% upper limit on the amplitude of ΩGW(f)=Ω3(f/900  Hz)3, of Ω3<0.32, assuming a value of the Hubble parameter of h100=0.71. These new limits are a factor of seven better than the previous best in this frequency band. © 2012 The American Physical Societ

All-sky search for gravitational-wave bursts in the second joint LIGO-Virgo run

We present results from a search for gravitational-wave bursts in the data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between July 7, 2009 and October 20, 2010: data are analyzed when at least two of the three LIGO-Virgo detectors are in coincident operation, with a total observation time of 207 days. The analysis searches for transients of duration ≲1  s over the frequency band 64–5000 Hz, without other assumptions on the signal waveform, polarization, direction or occurrence time. All identified events are consistent with the expected accidental background. We set frequentist upper limits on the rate of gravitational-wave bursts by combining this search with the previous LIGO-Virgo search on the data collected between November 2005 and October 2007. The upper limit on the rate of strong gravitational-wave bursts at the Earth is 1.3 events per year at 90% confidence. We also present upper limits on source rate density per year and Mpc3 for sample populations of standard-candle sources. As in the previous joint run, typical sensitivities of the search in terms of the root-sum-squared strain amplitude for these waveforms lie in the range ∼5×10−22  Hz−1/2 to ∼1×10−20  Hz−1/2. The combination of the two joint runs entails the most sensitive all-sky search for generic gravitational-wave bursts and synthesizes the results achieved by the initial generation of interferometric detectors. © 2012 The American Physical Societ