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

Abstract

We report the results of the first search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence using data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (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 M . 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 8.10 , and 4.4 × 1010 respectively, where L10 is 10 10 times the blue solar luminosity. These upper limits are compared with astrophysical expectations.

FINDCHIRP: An algorithm for detection of gravitational waves from inspiraling compact binaries

“…An inspiral analysis pipeline typically includes data selection, template bank generation, trigger generation using FINDCHIRP, trigger coincidence tests between multiple detectors, vetoes based on instrumental behavior, coherent combination of the optimal filter output from multiple detectors, and finally manual candidate followups. Pipelines vary between specific analyses and the topology of the analysis pipelines has evolved due to the specific demands of particular observing runs [14][15][16]18,19,[21][22][23][24][25].…”

“…The FINDCHIRP algorithm is the implementation of matched filtering used by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) and Virgo's offline searches for gravitational waves from low-mass (2M < M ¼ m 1 þ m 2 < 35M ), high-mass (25M < M < 100M ), and primordial black hole (0:2M < M < 2M ) coalescing compact binaries [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. FINDCHIRP has also been used to search for supermassive black holes in data from the LISA Mock Data Challenge [26][27][28] and for comparisons with numerical relativity waveforms for both high-mass and low-mass binaries [29].…”

“…We refer to Refs. [14][15][16]18,19,[21][22][23][24][25][30][31][32] for descriptions of the pipelines that have used the algorithms described here. This paper is not intended to provide documentation for our implementation of the FINDCHIRP algorithm.…”

Accessibility of the gravitational-wave background due to binary coalescences to second and third generation gravitational-wave detectors

“…These systems generate well understood "chirp" gravitational-wave signals, which have been computed using post-Newtonian approximation [13,14] or numerical relativity simulations [15]. One can then search for the chirp signals using matched template techniques -indeed a number of such searches have been performed using LIGO and Virgo data [16][17][18].…”

Neutron Star Oscillations From Starquakes

“…Inspiral signals come from the final stages of a neutron star or black hole binary, as the compact objects merge together [2]. This should produce a distinctive signal, increasing in frequency until the merger.…”