6 research outputs found
Reducing the effect of seismic noise in LIGO searches by targeted veto generation
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory forms part of the
international effort to detect and study gravitational waves of astrophysical
origin. One of the major obstacles for this project with the first generation
detectors was the effect of seismic noise on instrument sensitivity -
environmental disturbances causing motion of the interferometer optics,
coupling as noise in the gravitational wave data output. Typically transient
noise events have been identified by finding coincidence between noise in an
auxiliary data signal (with negligible sensitivity to gravitational waves) and
noise in the gravitational wave data, but attempts to include seismometer
readings in this scheme have proven ineffective. We present a new method of
generating a list of times of high seismic noise by tuning a gravitational wave
burst detection pipeline to the low frequency signature of these events. This
method has proven very effective at removing transients of seismic origin from
the gravitational wave (GW) data with only a small loss of analysable time. We
also present an outline for extending this method to other noise sources.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
The LSC Glitch Group : Monitoring Noise Transients during the fifth LIGO Science Run
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) glitch group is part of the LIGO
detector characterization effort. It consists of data analysts and detector
experts who, during and after science runs, collaborate for a better
understanding of noise transients in the detectors. Goals of the glitch group
during the fifth LIGO science run (S5) included (1) offline assessment of the
detector data quality, with focus on noise transients, (2) veto recommendations
for astrophysical analysis and (3) feedback to the commissioning team on
anomalies seen in gravitational wave and auxiliary data channels. Other
activities included the study of auto-correlation of triggers from burst
searches, stationarity of the detector noise and veto studies. The group
identified causes for several noise transients that triggered false alarms in
the gravitational wave searches; the times of such transients were identified
and vetoed from the data generating the LSC astrophysical results.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, Contribution to 12th Gravitational Wave Data
Analysis Workshop. Changes in response to referee comments. Accepted for
publication in CQ
Compact Binary Coalescences in the Band of Ground-based Gravitational-Wave Detectors
As the ground-based gravitational-wave telescopes LIGO, Virgo, and GEO 600
approach the era of first detections, we review the current knowledge of the
coalescence rates and the mass and spin distributions of merging neutron-star
and black-hole binaries. We emphasize the bi-directional connection between
gravitational-wave astronomy and conventional astrophysics. Astrophysical input
will make possible informed decisions about optimal detector configurations and
search techniques. Meanwhile, rate upper limits, detected merger rates, and the
distribution of masses and spins measured by gravitational-wave searches will
constrain astrophysical parameters through comparisons with astrophysical
models. Future developments necessary to the success of gravitational-wave
astronomy are discussed.Comment: Replaced with version accepted by CQG
Can we Detect Intermediate Mass Ratio Inspirals?
Gravitational waves emitted during intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (IMRIs)
of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) into supermassive black holes could
represent a very interesting source for LISA. Similarly, IMRIs of stellar-mass
compact objects into IMBHs could be detectable by Advanced LIGO. At present,
however, it is not clear what waveforms could be used for IMRI detection, since
the post-Newtonian approximation breaks down as an IMRI approaches the
innermost stable circular orbit, and perturbative solutions are only known to
the lowest order in the mass ratio. We discuss the expected mismatches between
approximate and true waveforms, and the choice of the best available waveform
as a function of the mass ratio and the total mass of the system. We also
comment on the significance of the spin of the smaller body and the need for
its inclusion in the waveforms.Comment: Updated to match published versio
Orbital effects of a monochromatic plane gravitational wave with ultra-low frequency incident on a gravitationally bound two-body system
We analytically compute the long-term orbital variations of a test particle
orbiting a central body acted upon by an incident monochromatic plane
gravitational wave. We assume that the characteristic size of the perturbed
two-body system is much smaller than the wavelength of the wave. Moreover, we
also suppose that the wave's frequency is much smaller than the particle's
orbital one. We make neither a priori assumptions about the direction of the
wavevector nor on the orbital geometry of the planet. We find that, while the
semi-major axis is left unaffected, the eccentricity, the inclination, the
longitude of the ascending node, the longitude of pericenter and the mean
anomaly undergo non-vanishing long-term changes. They are not secular trends
because of the slow modulation introduced by the tidal matrix coefficients and
by the orbital elements themselves. They could be useful to indepenedently
constrain the ultra-low frequency waves which may have been indirectly detected
in the BICEP2 experiment. Our calculation holds, in general, for any
gravitationally bound two-body system whose characteristic frequency is much
larger than the frequency of the external wave. It is also valid for a generic
perturbation of tidal type with constant coefficients over timescales of the
order of the orbital period of the perturbed particle.Comment: LaTex2e, 24 pages, no figures, no tables. Changes suggested by the
referees include