The Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors have commenced observations. Gravitational waves from the merger of binary black hole systems and a binary neutron star system have been observed. A major goal for LIGO and Virgo is to detect or set limits on a stochastic background of gravitational waves. A stochastic background of gravitational waves is expected to arise from a superposition of a large number of unresolved cosmological and/or astrophysical sources. A cosmologically produced background would carry unique signatures from the earliest epochs in the evolution of the Universe. Similarly, an astrophysical background would provide information about the astrophysical sources that generated it. The observation of gravitational waves from compact binary mergers implies that there will be a stochastic background from these sources that could be observed by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in the coming years. The LIGO and Virgo search for a stochastic background should probe interesting regions of the parameter space for numerous astrophysical and cosmological models. Presented here is an outline of LIGO and Virgo's search strategies for a stochastic background of gravitational waves, including the search for gravitational wave polarizations outside of what is predicted from general relativity. Also discussed is how global electromagnetic noise (from the Schumann resonances) could affect this search; possible strategies to monitor and subtract this potential source of correlated noise in a the global detector network are explained. The results from Advanced LIGO's observing runs O1 and O2 will be presented, along with the implications of the gravitational wave detections. The future goals for Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo will be explained.
In this technical note, we study the possibility of using networks of ground-based detectors to directly measure gravitational-wave polarizations using signals from compact binary coalescences. We present a simple data analysis method to partially achieve this, assuming presence of a strong signal well-captured by a GR template.
Using two recent techniques giving non-perturbative re-summed estimates of the damping and of the conservative part of the dynamics of two-body systems, we describe the transition between adiabatic inspiral and plunge in binary non-spinning black holes moving along quasi-circular orbits.
We report the results of the first search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence using data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Five months of data were collected during the concurrent S5 (LIGO) and VSR1 (Virgo) science runs. The search focused on signals from binary mergers with a total mass between 2 and 35 Msun. No gravitational waves are identified. The cumulative 90%-confidence upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence are calculated for non-spinning binary neutron stars, black hole-neutron star systems, and binary black holes to be 8.7x10^-3, 2.2x10^-3 and 4.…
We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries, of total mass between 2 and 35 Msun, using LIGO observations between November 14, 2006 and May 18, 2007. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass. The LIGO cumulative 90%-confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of neutron stars, black holes and black hole-neutron star systems are 1.4x10^-2, 7.3x10^-4 and 3.6x10^-3 yr^-1L_10^-1 respectively, where L_10 is 10^10 times the blue solar luminosity.
Combining recent techniques giving non-perturbative re-summed estimates of the damping and conservative parts of the two-body dynamics, we describe the transition between the adiabatic phase and the plunge, in coalescing binary black holes with comparable masses moving on quasi-circular orbits. We give initial dynamical data for numerical relativity investigations, with a fraction of an orbit left, and provide, for data analysis purposes, an estimate of the gravitational wave-form emitted throughout the inspiral, plunge and coalescence phases.
There has been remarkable progress in numerical relativity recently. This has led to the generation of gravitational waveform signals covering what has been traditionally termed the three phases of the coalescence of a compact binary - the inspiral, merger and ringdown. In this paper, we examine the usefulness of inspiral only templates for both detection and parameter estimation of the full coalescence waveforms generated by numerical relativity simulations. To this end, we deploy as search templates waveforms based on the effective one-body waveforms terminated at the light-ring as well as s…
We have searched for gravitational waves from coalescing low mass compact binary systems with a total mass between 2 and 35 Msun and a minimum component mass of 1 Msun using data from the first year of the fifth science run (S5) of the three LIGO detectors, operating at design sensitivity. Depending on mass, we are sensitive to coalescences as far as 150 Mpc from the Earth. No gravitational wave signals were observed above the expected background. Assuming a compact binary objects population with a Gaussian mass distribution representing binary neutron star systems, black hole-neutron star bin…
We study the advantage of the co-existence of future ground and space based gravitational wave detectors, in estimating the parameters of a binary coalescence. Using the post-Newtonian waveform for the inspiral of non-spinning neutron star-black hole pairs in circular orbits, we study how the estimates for chirp mass, symmetric mass ratio, and time and phase at coalescence are improved by combining the data from different space-ground detector pairs. Since the gravitational waves produced by binary coalescence also provide a suitable domain where we can study strong field gravity, we also stud…
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 sa…
We use data from the second science run of the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors to search for the gravitational waves from primordial black hole (PBH) binary coalescence with component masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$. The analysis requires a signal to be found in the data from both LIGO observatories, according to a set of coincidence criteria. No inspiral signals were found. Assuming a spherical halo with core radius 5 kpc extending to 50 kpc containing non-spinning black holes with masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$, we place an observational upper limit on the rate of PBH coales…
The LIGO detectors are sensitive to a variety of noise transients of non-astrophysical origin. Instrumental glitches and environmental disturbances increase the false alarm rate in the searches for gravitational waves. Using times already identified when the interferometers produced data of questionable quality, or when the channels that monitor the interferometer indicated non-stationarity, we have developed techniques to safely and effectively veto false triggers from the compact binary coalescences (CBCs) search pipeline.
We present results on the search for the coalescence of compact binary mergers using convolutional neural networks and the LIGO/Virgo data, corresponding to the O2 observation period. Two-dimensional images in time and frequency are used as input, and two sets of neural networks are trained separately for low mass (0.2 - 2.0 Msun) and high mass (25 - 100 Msun) compact binary coalescence events. We explored neural networks trained with input information from a single or a pair of interferometers, indicating that the use of information from pairs leads to an improved performance. A scan over the…
The nature of binary black hole coalescence is the final, uncharted frontier of the relativistic Kepler problem. In the United States, binary black hole coalescence has been identified as a computational ``Grand Challenge'' whose solution is the object of a coordinated effort, just reaching its half-way point, by more than two-score researchers at nearly a dozen institutions. In this report I highlight what I see as the most serious problems standing between us and a general computational solution to the problem of binary black hole coalescence: * the computational burden associated of the pro…
In this paper we present a method for conducting a coherent search for single spin compact binary coalescences in gravitational wave data and compare this search to the existing coincidence method for single spin searches. We propose a method to characterize the regions of the parameter space where the single spin search, both coincident and coherent, will increase detection efficiency over the existing non-precessing search. We also show example results of the coherent search on a stretch of data from LIGO's fourth science run but note that a set of signal based vetoes will be needed before t…
This thesis concerns the use, in gravitational wave data analysis, of higher order waveform models of the gravitational radiation emitted by compact binary coalescences. We begin with an introductory chapter that includes an overview of the theory of general relativity, gravitational radiation and ground-based interferometric gravitational wave detectors. We then discuss, in Chapter 2, the gravitational waves emitted by compact binary coalescences, with an explanation of higher order waveforms and how they differ from leading order waveforms; we also introduce the post-Newtonian formalism. In …
Compact binary coalescences are a promising source of gravitational waves for second-generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors such as advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo. While most binaries are expected to possess circular orbits, some may be eccentric, for example, if they are formed through dynamical capture. Eccentric orbits can create difficulty for matched filtering searches due to the challenges of creating effective template banks to detect these signals. In previous work, we showed how seedless clustering can be used to detect low-mass ($M_\text{total}\leq10M_\odot$) compa…
Utilizing the tools of tendex and vortex, we study the highly dynamic plunge and merger phases of several $π$-symmetric binary black hole coalescences. In particular, we observe a decline of the strength of the current quadrupole moment as compared to that of the mass quadrupole moment during the merger phase, contrary to a naive estimate according to the dependence of these moments on the separation between the black holes. We further show that this decline of the current quadrupole moment is achieved through the remnants of the two individual spins becoming nearly aligned or anti-aligned wit…
Binary black-hole coalescence is treated semi-analytically by a novel approach. Our prescription employs the conservative Skeleton Hamiltonian that describes orbiting Brill-Lindquist wormholes (termed punctures in Numerical Relativity) within a waveless truncation to the Einstein field equations [G. Faye, P. Jaranowski and G. Schäfer, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 69}, 124029 (2004)]. We incorporate, in a transparent Hamiltonian way and in Burke-Thorne gauge structure, the effects of gravitational radiation reaction into the above Skeleton dynamics with the help of 3.5PN accurate angular momentum flux for…
Fully-coherent all-sky search for gravitational wave (GW) signals from the coalescence of compact object binaries is a computationally expensive task. Approximations, such as semi-coherent coincidence searches, are currently used to circumvent the computational barrier with a concomitant loss in sensitivity. We explore the effectiveness of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in addressing this problem. Our results, using a simulated network of detectors with initial LIGO design sensitivities and a realistic signal strength, show that PSO can successfully deliver a fully-coherent all-sky search w…
This work establishes critical phenomena in the topological transition of black hole coalescence. We describe and validate a computational front tracking event horizon solver, developed for generic studies of the black hole coalescence problem. We then apply this to the Kastor - Traschen axisymmetric analytic solution of the extremal Maxwell - Einstein black hole merger with cosmological constant. The surprising result of this computational analysis is a power law scaling of the minimal throat proportional to time. The minimal throat connecting the two holes obeys this power law during a short…
Gravitational waves from binary neutron star mergers can be used as alerts to enable prompt follow-up observations. In particular, capturing prompt electromagnetic and astroparticle emissions from the moment of a binary merger presents unique constraints on the time scale and sky localization for online gravitational wave detection. Here we present the expected performance of the SPIIR online detection pipeline that is designed for this purpose in the upcoming international LIGO-Virgo's 4th Science Run (O4). Using simulated Gaussian data for the two LIGO observatories with expected O4 sensitiv…
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 coales…
In this work we present an extension of the time domain phenomenological model IMRPhenomT for gravitational wave signals from binary black hole coalescences to include subdominant harmonics, specifically the $(l=2, m=\pm 1)$, $(l=3, m=\pm 3)$, $(l=4, m=\pm 4)$ and $(l=5, m=\pm 5)$ spherical harmonics. We also improve our model for the dominant $(l=2, m=\pm 2)$ mode and discuss mode mixing for the $(l=3, m=\pm 2)$ mode. The model is calibrated to numerical relativity solutions of the full Einstein equations up to mass ratio 18, and to numerical solutions of the Teukolsky equations for higher ma…
Compact binary coalescences, such as binary neutron stars or black holes, are among the most promising candidate sources for the current and future terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. While such sources are best searched using matched template techniques and chirp template banks, integrating chirp signals from binaries over the entire Universe also leads to a gravitational-wave background (GWB). In this paper we systematically scan the parameter space for the binary coalescence GWB models, taking into account uncertainties in the star formation rate and in the delay time between the form…
As Einstein's equations for binary compact object inspiral have only been approximately or intermittently solved by analytic or numerical methods, the models used to infer parameters of gravitational wave (GW) sources are subject to waveform modeling uncertainty. Using a simple scenario, we illustrate these differences, then introduce a very efficient technique to marginalize over waveform uncertainties, relative to a pre-specified sequence of waveform models. Being based on RIFT, a very efficient parameter inference engine, our technique can directly account for any available models, includin…
We describe the methodology and novel techniques used to construct a set of waveforms, or template bank, applicable to searches for compact binary coalescences in Advanced LIGO's second observing run. This template bank is suitable for observing systems composed of two neutron stars, two black holes, or a neutron star and a black hole. The Post-Newtonian formulation is used to model waveforms with total mass less than 4 $M_{\odot}$ and the most recent effective-one-body model, calibrated to numerical relativity to include the merger and ringdown, is used for total masses greater than 4 $M_{\od…
We investigate the application of the singular value decomposition to compact-binary, gravitational-wave data-analysis. We find that the truncated singular value decomposition reduces the number of filters required to analyze a given region of parameter space of compact binary coalescence waveforms by an order of magnitude with high reconstruction accuracy. We also compute an analytic expression for the expected signal-loss due to the singular value decomposition truncation.
Gravitational waves have only two polarization modes in General Relativity. However, there are six possible modes of polarization in metric theory of gravity in general. The tests of gravitational waves polarization can be tools for pursuing the nature of space-time structure. The observations of gravitational waves with a world-wide network of interferometric detectors such as Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA will make it possible to obtain the information of gravitational wave polarization from detector signals. We study the separability of the polarization modes for the inspiral grav…
We study the effect of the neutron star spin -- kick velocity alignment observed in young radio pulsars on the coalescence rate of binary neutron stars. Two scenarios of the neutron star formation are considered: when the kick is always present and when it is small or absent if a neutron star is formed in a binary system due to electron-capture degenerate core collapse. The effect is shown to be especially strong for large kick amplitudes and tight alignments, reducing the expected galactic rate of binary neutron star coalescences compared to calculations with randomly directed kicks. The spin…
Compact binary systems coalesce over time due to the radiation of gravitational waves, following the field equations of general relativity. Conservation of energy and angular momentum gives a mathematical description for the evolution of separation between the orbiting objects and eccentricity ($e$) of the orbit. We develop an improved analytical solution to the coalescence time for a circular binary system with an arbitrary semi-major axis, to the first post-Newtonian (1PN) accuracy. The results from the quadruple approximation and 1PN approximation are compared for a circular orbit ($e=0$).
The detection of gravitational waves from compact binaries relies on a computationally burdensome processing of gravitational-wave detector data. The parameter space of compact-binary-coalescence gravitational waves is large and optimal detection strategies often require nearly redundant calculations. Previously, it has been shown that singular value decomposition of search filters removes redundancy. Here we will demonstrate the use of singular value decomposition for a composite detection statistic. This can greatly improve the prospects for a computationally feasible rapid detection scheme …
Compact binary coalescences are a promising source of gravitational waves for second-generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Although matched filtering is the optimal search method for well-modeled systems, alternative detection strategies can be used to guard against theoretical errors (e.g., involving new physics and/or assumptions about spin/eccentricity) while providing a measure of redundancy. In previous work, we showed how "seedless clustering" can be used to detect long-lived gravitational-wave transients in both targeted and all-sky searches. In this paper, we apply s…
We present the first application of deep learning forecasting for binary neutron stars, neutron star - black hole systems, and binary black hole mergers that span an eccentricity range e <= 0.9. We train neural networks that describe these astrophysical populations, and then test their performance by injecting simulated eccentric signals in advanced LIGO noise available at the \texttt{Gravitational Wave Open Science Center} to: 1) quantify how fast neural networks identify these signals before the binary components merge; 2) quantify how accurately neural networks estimate the time to merger o…
We compute the two-dimensional correlation functions of the binary black hole coalescence detections in LIGO-Virgo's first and second observation runs. The sky distribution of binary black hole coalescence events is tested for correlations at different angular scales by comparing the observed correlation function to two reference functions that are obtained from mock datasets of localization error regions uniformly distributed in the sky. No excess correlation at any angular scale is found. The power-law slope of the correlation function is estimated to be $γ= 2.24\pm 0.33$ at the three-$σ$ co…
Full, non-linear general relativity predicts a memory effect for gravitational waves. For compact binary coalescence, the total gravitational memory serves as an inferred observable, conceptually on the same footing as the mass and the spin of the final black hole. Given candidate waveforms for any LIGO event, then, one can calculate the posterior probability distribution functions for the total gravitational memory, and use them to compare and contrast the waveforms. In this paper we present these posterior distributions for the binary black hole merger events reported in the first Gravitatio…
In this review we examine the amplitude intensity associated to tensorial and non-tensorial polarization modes generated by binary systems at their inspiral stage, within the alternative theories of gravity of Brans Dicke, Rosen, and Lightman Lee. This study is performed without making an explicit use of the Transverse Traceless gauge of the General Relativity approach, and at the Newtonian limit. Consequently such additional polarization modes appear (non-tensorial) due to additional degrees of freedom in modified theories of gravitation. We model and compare the different polarization modes …
We describe the Multi-Band Template Analysis (MBTA) search for gravitational waves signals from coalescences of compact objects in the LIGO-Virgo data, at the time of the third observing run (2019-2020), both for low-latency detections and for offline analysis. Details are given on the architecture and functioning of the pipeline, including transient noise mitigation strategies, parameter space for the searched signals, detection of candidates and evaluation of a false alarm rate associated to them. The performance of the low-latency search is demonstrated based on the LIGO-Virgo third observi…
The two-body problem in general relativity is reviewed, focusing on the final stages of the coalescence of the black holes as uncovered by recent successes in numerical solution of the field equations.
We present a computationally efficient (time-domain) multipolar waveform model for quasi-circular spin-aligned compact binary coalescences. The model combines the advantages of the numerical-relativity informed, effective-one-body (EOB) family of models with a post-adiabatic solution of the equations of motion for the inspiral part of the two-body dynamics. We benchmark this model against other state-of-the-art waveforms in terms of efficiency and accuracy. We find a speed-up of one to two orders of magnitude compared to the underlying time-domain EOB model for the total mass range $2 - 100 M_…
Niels Bohr Institute（尼尔斯·玻尔研究所）；CERN（欧洲核子研究中心）；KU Leuven（荷语鲁汶大学）；Universitat de València（瓦伦西亚大学）；Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen（蒂宾根大学）；Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”（索菲亚大学）；Bulgarian Academy of Sciences（保加利亚科学院）
Rapid detection of compact binary coalescence (CBC) with a network of advanced gravitational-wave detectors will offer a unique opportunity for multi-messenger astronomy. Prompt detection alerts for the astronomical community might make it possible to observe the onset of electromagnetic emission from (CBC). We demonstrate a computationally practical filtering strategy that could produce early-warning triggers before gravitational radiation from the final merger has arrived at the detectors.
We investigate the energy of the gravitational wave from a binary black hole merger by the coalescence of two Kerr black holes with an orbital angular momentum. The coalescence is constructed to be consistent with particle absorption in the limit in which the primary black hole is sufficiently large compared with the secondary black hole. In this limit, we analytically obtain an effective gravitational spin--orbit interaction dependent on the alignments of the angular momenta. Then, binary systems with various parameters including equal masses are numerically analyzed. According to the numeric…
In a recent paper "Probing gravitational wave polarizations with signals from compact binary coalescences" (arXiv:1710.03794 [gr-qc]) the authors argue that a single detection of gravitational wave by the LIGO-Virgo network is capable to distinguish between pure tensor and pure vector polarizations of gravitational waves. Here we point out a mistake in the author's analysis and show that such differentiation is possible only in the unlikely event when gravitational wave propagates in the direction of interferometer zero response for the tensor or vector polarizations. Nevertheless, the LIGO-Vi…
We introduce a fully-coherent method for searching for gravitational wave signals generated by the merger of black hole and/or neutron star binaries. This extends the coherent analysis previously developed and used for targeted gravitational wave searches to an all-sky, all-time search. We apply the search to one month of data taken during the fifth science run of the LIGO detectors. We demonstrate an increase in sensitivity of 25% over the coincidence search, which is commensurate with expectations. Finally, we discuss prospects for implementing and running a coherent search for gravitational…
We propose a new formation channel for intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) binaries via globular cluster collisions in the Galactic disc. Using numerical simulations, we show that the IMBHs form a tight binary that enters the gravitational waves (GWs) emission dominated regime driven by stellar interactions, and ultimately merge in $\lesssim 0.5$ Gyr. These events are clearly audible to LISA and can be associated with electromagnetic emission during the last evolutionary stages. During their orbital evolution, the IMBHs produce runaway stars comparable with GAIA and LAMOST observations.
A leading candidate source of detectable gravitational waves is the inspiral and merger of pairs of stellar-mass compact objects. The advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo detectors will allow scientists to detect inspiral signals from more massive systems and at earlier times in the detector band, than with first generation detectors. The signal from a coalescence of two neutron stars is expected to stay in the sensitive band of advanced detectors for several minutes, thus allowing detection before the final coalescence of the system. In this work, the prospects of detecting inspiral signals prior…
Einstein Telescope (ET) is a possible third generation ground-based gravitational wave observatory for which a design study is currently being carried out. A brief (and non-exhaustive) overview is given of ET's projected capabilities regarding astrophysics and cosmology through observations of inspiraling and coalescing compact binaries. In particular, ET would give us unprecedented insight into the mass function of neutron stars and black holes, the internal structure of neutron stars, the evolution of coalescence rates over cosmological timescales, and the geometry and dynamics of the Univer…
We investigate the effect of an important class of glitches occurring in the detector data on matched filter searches of gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries in the advanced detector era. The glitches, which can be modeled as sine-Gaussians, can produce triggers with significant time delays and thus have important bearing on veto procedures as will be described in the paper. We provide approximated analytical estimates of the trigger SNR and time as a function of the parameters describing the sine-Gaussian (center time, center frequency and Q-factor) and the inspiral waveform (…
We describe the implementation of a search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences in LIGO and Virgo data. This all-sky, all-time, multi-detector search for binary coalescence has been used to search data taken in recent LIGO and Virgo runs. The search is built around a matched filter analysis of the data, augmented by numerous signal consistency tests designed to distinguish artifacts of non-Gaussian detector noise from potential detections. We demonstrate the search performance using Gaussian noise and data from the fifth LIGO science run and demonstrate that the signal cons…
