S. Bose

The GEO 600 gravitational wave detector

The GEO 600 laser interferometer with 600 m armlength is part of a worldwide network of gravitational wave detectors. Due to the use of advanced technologies like multiple pendulum suspensions with a monolithic last stage and signal recycling, the anticipated sensitivity of GEO 600 is close to the initial sensitivity of detectors with several kilometres armlength. This paper describes the subsystems of GEO 600, the status of the detector by September 2001 and the plans towards the first science run.

Search for gravitational-wave bursts associated with gamma-ray bursts using data from LIGO science run 5 and VIRGO science run 1.

We present the results of a search for gravitational-wave bursts associated with 137 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that were detected by satellite-based gamma-ray experiments during the fifth LIGO science run and first Virgo science run. The data used in this analysis were collected from 2005 November 4 to 2007 October 1, and most of the GRB triggers were from the Swift satellite. The search uses a coherent network analysis method that takes into account the different locations and orientations of the interferometers at the three LIGO-Virgo sites. We find no evidence for gravitational-wave burst signals associated with this sample of GRBs. Using simulated short-duration (<1 s) waveforms, we set upper limits on the amplitude of gravitational waves associated with each GRB. We also place lower bounds on the distance to each GRB under the assumption of a fixed energy emission in gravitational waves, with typical limits of D ~ 15 Mpc (E_GW^iso / 0.01 M_o c^2)^1/2 for emission at frequencies around 150 Hz, where the LIGO-Virgo detector network has best sensitivity. We present astrophysical interpretations and implications of these results, and prospects for corresponding searches during future LIGO-Virgo runs.

Estimating the parameters of nonspinning binary black holes using ground-based gravitational-wave detectors: Statistical errors

We assess the statistical errors in estimating the parameters of nonspinning black hole binaries using ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. While past assessments were based on partial information provided by only the inspiral and/or ring-down pieces of the coalescence signal, the recent progress in analytical and numerical relativity enables us to make more accurate projections using complete inspiral-merger-ring-down waveforms. We employ the Fisher information-matrix formalism to estimate how accurately the source parameters will be measurable using a single interferometric detector as well as a network of interferometers. Those estimates are further vetted by full-fledged Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the parameter accuracies of the complete waveform are, in general, significantly better than those of just the inspiral waveform in the case of binaries with total mass M ≿ 20M☉. In particular, for the case of the Advanced LIGO detector, parameter estimation is the most accurate in the M = 100–200M☉ range. For an M=100M[sun] system, the errors in measuring the total mass and the symmetric mass-ratio are reduced by an order of magnitude or more compared to inspiral waveforms. Furthermore, for binaries located at a fixed luminosity distance d_L, and observed with the Advanced LIGO-Advanced Virgo network, the sky-position error is expected to vary widely across the sky: For M = 100M☉ systems at d_L = 1 Gpc, this variation ranges mostly from about a hundredth of a square degree to about a square degree, with an average value of nearly a tenth of a square degree. This is more than 40 times better than the average sky-position accuracy of inspiral waveforms at this mass range. For the mass parameters as well as the sky position, this improvement in accuracy is due partly to the increased signal-to-noise ratio and partly to the information about these parameters harnessed through the post-inspiral phases of the waveform. The error in estimating d_L is dominated by the error in measuring the waves polarization and is roughly 43% for low-mass (M ~ 20M☉) binaries and about 23% for high-mass (M ~ 100M☉ ) binaries located at d_L = 1 Gpc.

Probing the anisotropies of a stochastic gravitational-wave background using a network of ground-based laser interferometers

We present a maximum-likelihood analysis for estimating the angular distribution of power in an anisotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background using ground-based laser interferometers. The standard isotropic and gravitational-wave radiometer searches (optimal for point sources) are recovered as special limiting cases. The angular distribution can be decomposed with respect to any set of basis functions on the sky, and the single-baseline, cross-correlation analysis is easily extended to a network of three or more detectors--that is, to multiple baselines. A spherical-harmonic decomposition, which provides maximum-likelihood estimates of the multipole moments of the gravitational-wave sky, is described in detail. We also discuss (i) the covariance matrix of the estimators and its relationship to the detector response of a network of interferometers, (ii) a singular-value decomposition method for regularizing the deconvolution of the detector response from the measured sky map, (iii) the expected increase in sensitivity obtained by including multiple baselines, and (iv) the numerical results of this method when applied to simulated data consisting of both pointlike and diffuse sources. Comparisons between this general method and the standard isotropic and radiometer searches are given throughout, to make contact with the existing literature on stochastic background searches.

Gravitational wave radiometry : Mapping a stochastic gravitational wave background

The problem of the detection and mapping of a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB), either cosmological or astrophysical, bears a strong semblance to the analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy and polarization, which too is a stochastic field, statistically described in terms of its correlation properties. An astrophysical gravitational wave background (AGWB) will likely arise from an incoherent superposition of unmodelled and/or unresolved sources and cosmological gravitational wave backgrounds (CGWB) are also predicted in certain scenarios. The basic statistic we use is the cross correlation between the data from a pair of detectors. In order to “point” the pair of detectors at different locations one must suitably delay the signal by the amount it takes for the gravitational waves (GW) to travel to both detectors corresponding to a source direction. Then the raw (observed) sky map of the SGWB is the signal convolved with a beam response function that varies with location in the sky. We first present a thorough analytic understanding of the structure of the beam response function using an analytic approach employing the stationary phase approximation. The true sky map is obtained by numerically deconvolving the beam function in the integral (convolution) equation. We adopt the maximum likelihood framework to estimate the true sky map using the conjugate gradient method that has been successfully used in the broadly similar, well-studied CMB map-making problem. We numerically implement and demonstrate the method on signal generated by simulated (unpolarized) SGWB for the GW radiometer consisting of the LIGO pair of detectors at Hanford and Livingston. We include “realistic” additive Gaussian noise in each data stream based on the LIGO-I noise power spectral density. The extension of the method to multiple baselines and polarized GWB is outlined. In the near future the network of GW detectors, including the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors that will be sensitive to sources within a thousand times larger spatial volume, could provide promising data sets for GW radiometry.

On the observational determination of squeezing in relic gravitational waves and primordial density perturbations

We develop a theory in which relic gravitational waves and primordial density perturbations are generated by strong variable gravitational field of the early Universe. The generating mechanism is the superadiabatic (parametric) amplification of the zero-point quantum oscillations. The generated fields have specific statistical properties of squeezed vacuum quantum states. Macroscopically, squeezing manifests itself in a nonstationary character of variances and correlation functions of the fields, the periodic structures of the metric power spectra, and, as a consequence, in the oscillatory behavior of the higher order multipoles Cl of the cosmic microwave background anisotropy. We start with the gravitational wave background and then apply the theory to primordial density perturbations. We derive an analytical formula for the positions of peaks and dips in the angular power spectrum l(l+1)Cl as a function of l. This formula shows that the values of l at the peak positions are ordered in the proportion 1:3:5:…, whereas at the dips they are ordered as 1:2:3:…. We compare the derived positions with the actually observed features, and find them to be in reasonably good agreement. It appears that the observed structure is better described by our analytical formula based on the (squeezed) metric perturbations associated with the primordial density perturbations, rather than by the acoustic peaks reflecting the existence of plasma sound waves at the last scattering surface. We formulate a forecast for other features in the angular power spectrum that may be detected by the advanced observational missions, such as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe and Planck. We tentatively conclude that the observed structure is a macroscopic manifestation of squeezing in the primordial metric perturbations.

Gravitational wave astrophysics, data analysis and multimessenger astronomy

This paper reviews gravitational wave sources and their detection. One of the most exciting potential sources of gravitational waves are coalescing binary black hole systems. They can occur on all mass scales and be formed in numerous ways, many of which are not understood. They are generally invisible in electromagnetic waves, and they provide opportunities for deep investigation of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Sect. 1 of this paper considers ways that binary black holes can be created in the universe, and includes the prediction that binary black hole coalescence events are likely to be the first gravitational wave sources to be detected. The next parts of this paper address the detection of chirp waveforms from coalescence events in noisy data. Such analysis is computationally intensive. Sect. 2 reviews a new and powerful method of signal detection based on the GPUimplemented summed parallel infinite impulse response filters. Such filters are intrinsically real time alorithms, that can be used to rapidly detect and localise signals. Sect. 3 of the paper reviews the use of GPU processors for rapid searching for gravitational wave bursts that can arise from black hole births and coalescences. In sect. 4 the use of GPU processors to enable fast efficient statistical significance testing of gravitational wave event candidates is reviewed. Sect. 5 of this paper addresses the method of multimessenger astronomy where the discovery of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events can be used to identify sources, understand their nature and obtain much greater science outcomes from each identified event.

An Enhanced Method for Scheduling Observations of Large Sky Error Regions for Finding Optical Counterparts to Transients

The discovery and subsequent study of optical counterparts to transient sources is crucial for their complete astrophysical understanding. Various gamma ray burst (GRB) detectors, and more notably the ground--based gravitational wave detectors, typically have large uncertainties in the sky positions of detected sources. Searching these large sky regions spanning hundreds of square degrees is a formidable challenge for most ground--based optical telescopes, which can usually image less than tens of square degrees of the sky in a single night. We present algorithms for optimal scheduling of such follow--up observations in order to maximize the probability of imaging the optical counterpart, based on the all--sky probability distribution of the source position. We incorporate realistic observing constraints like the diurnal cycle, telescope pointing limitations, available observing time, and the rising/setting of the target at the observatory location. We use simulations to demonstrate that our proposed algorithms outperform the default greedy observing schedule used by many observatories. Our algorithms are applicable for follow--up of other transient sources with large positional uncertainties, like Fermi--detected GRBs, and can easily be adapted for scheduling radio or space--based X--ray followup.

Measuring neutron-star ellipticity with measurements of the stochastic gravitational-wave background

Galactic neutron stars are a promising source of gravitational waves in the analysis band of detectors such as Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo. Previous searches for gravitational waves from neutron stars have focused on the detection of individual neutron stars, which are either nearby or highly nonspherical. Here, we consider the stochastic gravitational-wave signal arising from the ensemble of Galactic neutron stars. Using a population synthesis model, we estimate the single-sigma sensitivity of current and planned gravitational-wave observatories to average neutron star ellipticity e as a function of the number of in-band Galactic neutron stars N_(tot). For the plausible case of N_(tot)≈53000, and assuming one year of observation time with colocated initial LIGO detectors, we find it to be σ_(e)=2.1×10^(−7), which is comparable to current bounds on some nearby neutron stars. (The current best 95% upper limits are e≲7×10^(−8).) It is unclear if Advanced LIGO can significantly improve on this sensitivity using spatially separated detectors. For the proposed Einstein Telescope, we estimate that σe=5.6×10^(−10). Finally, we show that stochastic measurements can be combined with measurements of individual neutron stars in order to estimate the number of in-band Galactic neutron stars. In this way, measurements of stochastic gravitational waves provide a complementary tool for studying Galactic neutron stars.

Systematic errors in measuring parameters of non-spinning compact binary coalescences with post-Newtonian templates

We study the astrophysical impact of inaccurate and incomplete modeling of the gravitational waveforms from compact binary coalescences (CBCs). We do so by the matched filtering of phenomenological inspiral-merger-ringdown (IMR) signals with a bank of inspiral-phase templates modeled on the 3.5 post-Newtonian TaylorT1 approximant. The rationale for the choice of the templates is threefold. (1) The inspiral phase of the phenomenological IMR signals, which are an example of complete IMR signals, is modeled on the same TaylorT1 approximant. (2) In the low-mass limit, where the merger and ringdown phases are much shorter than the inspiral phase, the errors should tend to vanishingly small values and, thus, provide an important check on the numerical aspects of our simulations. (3) Since the binary black hole signals are not yet known for mass ratios above ten and since signals from CBCs involving neutron stars are affected by uncertainties in the knowledge of their equation of state, inspiral templates are still in use in searches for those signals. The results from our numerical simulations are compared with analytical calculations of the systematic errors using the Fisher matrix on the template parameter space. We find that the loss in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be as large as 45% even for binary black holes with component masses m_1 = 10 M_☉ and m_2 = 40 M_☉. Also the estimated total mass for the same pair can be off by as much as 20%. Both of these are worse for some higher mass combinations. Even the estimation of the symmetric mass ratio η suffers a nearly 20% error for this example and can be worse than 50% for the mass ranges studied here. These errors significantly dominate their statistical counterparts (at a nominal SNR of 10). It may, however, be possible to mitigate the loss in SNR by allowing for templates with unphysical values of η.