Published March 24, 2017 | Version Published + Submitted + Supplemental Material
Journal Article Open

Directional Limits on Persistent Gravitational Waves from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run

Abstract

We employ gravitational-wave radiometry to map the stochastic gravitational wave background expected from a variety of contributing mechanisms and test the assumption of isotropy using data from the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. We also search for persistent gravitational waves from point sources with only minimal assumptions over the 20–1726 Hz frequency band. Finding no evidence of gravitational waves from either point sources or a stochastic background, we set limits at 90% confidence. For broadband point sources, we report upper limits on the gravitational wave energy flux per unit frequency in the range F_(α,Θ)(f)<(0.1–56)×10^(-8) erg cm^(-2) s^(-1) Hz^(-1)(f/25  Hz)^(α-1) depending on the sky location Θ and the spectral power index α. For extended sources, we report upper limits on the fractional gravitational wave energy density required to close the Universe of Ω(f,Θ)<(0.39–7.6)×10^(-8) sr-^(-1)(f/25 Hz)α depending on Θ and α. Directed searches for narrowband gravitational waves from astrophysically interesting objects (Scorpius X-1, Supernova 1987 A, and the Galactic Center) yield median frequency-dependent limits on strain amplitude of h_0<(6.7,5.5,  and  7.0)×10^(-25), respectively, at the most sensitive detector frequencies between 130–175 Hz. This represents a mean improvement of a factor of 2 across the band compared to previous searches of this kind for these sky locations, considering the different quantities of strain constrained in each case.

Additional Information

© 2017 American Physical Society. Received 7 December 2016; published 24 March 2017. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) for the construction and operation of the LIGO Laboratory and Advanced LIGO as well as the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of the United Kingdom, the Max-Planck Society (MPS), and the State of Niedersachsen, Germany for support of the construction of Advanced LIGO and construction and operation of the GEO600 detector. Additional support for Advanced LIGO was provided by the Australian Research Council. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, for the construction and operation of the Virgo detector and the creation and support of the EGO consortium. The authors also gratefully acknowledge research support from these agencies as well as by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India, Department of Science and Technology, India, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India, the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, the Conselleria d'Economia i Competitivitat and Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Universitats of the Govern de les Illes Balears, the National Science Centre of Poland, the European Commission, the Royal Society, the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA), the Lyon Institute of Origins (LIO), the National Research Foundation of Korea, Industry Canada and the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Canada, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Leverhulme Trust, the Research Corporation, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Taiwan and the Kavli Foundation. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the NSF, STFC, MPS, INFN, CNRS and the State of Niedersachsen, Germany for provision of computational resources. This article has been assigned document number LIGO-P1600259.

Attached Files

Published - PhysRevLett.118.121102.pdf

Submitted - 1612.02030.pdf

Supplemental Material - supplement_nb.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
75464
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20170328-090930338

Related works

Funding

NSF
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Max-Planck Society
State of Niedersachsen/Germany
Australian Research Council
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India)
Department of Science and Technology (India)
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
Conselleria d'Economia i Competitivitat and Conselleria d'Educació
Govern de les Illes Balears
National Science Centre (Poland)
European Commission
Royal Society
Scottish Funding Council
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA)
Lyon Institute of Origins (LIO)
National Research Foundation of Korea
Industry Canada
Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)
Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação e Comunicação
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
Russian Foundation for Basic Research
Leverhulme Trust
Research Corporation
Ministry of Science and Technology (Taipei)
Kavli Foundation

Dates

Created
2017-03-28
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-15
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Caltech groups
LIGO , TAPIR , Astronomy Department , Physics Department , Physics Department
Other Numbering System Name
LIGO Document
Other Numbering System Identifier
LIGO-P1600259