Searches for gravitational-wave transients from binary black hole
coalescences typically rely on one of two approaches: matched filtering with
templates and morphology-independent excess power searches. Multiple
algorithmic implementations in the analysis of data from the first generation
of ground-based gravitational wave interferometers have used different
strategies for the suppression of non-Gaussian noise transients, and targeted
different regions of the binary black hole parameter space. In this paper we
compare the sensitivity of three such algorithms: matched filtering with full
coalescence templates, matched filtering with ringdown templates and a
morphology-independent excess power search. The comparison is performed at a
fixed false alarm rate and relies on Monte-carlo simulations of binary black
hole coalescences for spinning, non-precessing systems with total mass 25-350
solar mass, which covers the parameter space of stellar mass and intermediate
mass black hole binaries. We find that in the mass range of 25 -100 solar mass
the sensitive distance of the search, marginalized over source parameters, is
best with matched filtering to full waveform templates, to within 10 percent at
a false alarm rate of 3 events per year. In the mass range of 100-350 solar
mass, the same comparison favors the morphology-independent excess power search
to within 20 percent. The dependence on mass and spin is also explored.Comment: 11 pages, 2 tables, 25 figure
