Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2017
Volume 62, Number 1
Saturday–Tuesday, January 28–31, 2017; Washington, DC
Session Y11: LIGO Searches and Detection of Compact Binary Coalescences |
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Sponsoring Units: DGRAV Chair: Hsin-Yu Chen, University of Chicago Room: Roosevelt 3 |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 1:30PM - 1:42PM |
Y11.00001: Results of the GstLAL Search for Compact Binary Mergers in Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run Ryan Lang Advanced LIGO's first observing period ended in January 2016. We discuss the GstLAL matched-filter search over this data set for gravitational waves from compact binary objects with total mass up to 100 solar masses. In particular, we discuss the recovery of the unambiguous gravitational wave signals GW150914 and GW151226, as well as the possible third signal LVT151012. Additionally, we discuss the constraints we can place on binary-neutron-star and neutron-star-black-hole system merger rates. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 1:42PM - 1:54PM |
Y11.00002: The PyCBC search for binary black hole coalescences in Advanced LIGO's first observing run Joshua Willis Advanced LIGO's first observing run saw the first detections of binary black hole coalescences. We describe the PyCBC matched filter analysis, and the results of that search for binary systems with total mass up to 100 solar masses. This is a matched filter search for general-relativistic signals from binary black hole systems. Two signals, GW150914 and GW151226, were identified with very high significance, and a third possible signal, LVT151012, was found, though at much lower significance. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 1:54PM - 2:06PM |
Y11.00003: Exploring the impact of Advanced LIGO transient noise on the estimation of astrophysical parameters of binary black hole coalescences Jessica McIver The Advanced LIGO detectors have unprecedented sensitivity to the spacetime strain induced by gravitational waves, but the interferometer data are non-stationary. Instrumental and environmental transient noise artifacts, or `glitches', occur frequently in the data and can mimic transient gravitational wave signals, including compact binary coalescences (CBCs). In addition to limiting the sensitivity of gravitational wave searches, in cases when astrophysical signals occur during or near periods of transient noise, this noise can also contaminate the estimation of the astrophysical parameters of CBC sources, such as spin, mass, and sky location. I will show the rate and common morphologies of transient noise in LIGO data and illustrate the impact of common classes of transient noise on the parameter estimation of observable binary black hole merger signals. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:06PM - 2:18PM |
Y11.00004: Upper limits on the rates of BNS and NSBH mergers from Advanced LIGO's first observing run Benjamin Lackey Last year the Advanced LIGO detectors finished their first observing run and detected two binary black hole mergers with high significance but no binary neutron star (BNS) or neutron-star--black-hole (NSBH) mergers. We present upper limits on the rates of BNS and NSBH mergers in the universe based on their non-detection with two modeled searches. With zero detections, the upper limits depend on the choice of prior, but we find 90\% upper limits using a conservative prior of ~$12,000/Gpc^3/yr$ for BNS mergers and ~$1,000--3,000/Gpc^3/yr$ for NSBH mergers depending on the black hole mass. Comparing these upper limits to several rates predictions in the literature, we find our upper limits are close to the more optimistic rates estimates. Further non-detections in the second and third observing runs should be able to rule out several rates predictions. Using the observed rate of short gamma ray bursts (GRBs), we can also place lower limits on the average beaming angle of short GRBs. Assuming all short GRBs come from BNS mergers, we find a 90\% lower limit of 1--4 degrees on the GRB beaming angle, with the range coming from the uncertainty in short GRB rates. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:18PM - 2:30PM |
Y11.00005: Advanced LIGO searches for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts Dipongkar Talukder Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous electromagnetic events in the universe. According to the existing models, the long-soft GRBs are powered by the core collapse of rapidly rotating massive stars. The progenitors of short-hard GRBs are widely thought to be mergers of binary neutron stars or black hole-neutron star binaries. These phenomena are all expected to emit gravitational waves that are detectable by Advanced LIGO/Virgo when the source is within its range in the sensitive frequency band, making GRBs promising events for gravitational-wave follow-up. Here we present efforts to localize gravitational-wave signal candidates on the sky and to identify coincidences in time with GRBs. We discuss the strategies developed to promptly launch searches for gravitational waves associated with GRBs and the prospects of joint electromagnetic and gravitation-wave follow-ups. We also present the results of these searches during Advanced LIGO's first observing run carried out between September 2015 and January 2016. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:30PM - 2:42PM |
Y11.00006: Towards an Extended Binary Black Hole Search using Advanced LIGO: from Stellar to Intermediate-Mass Debnandini Mukherjee Intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) binaries, make up the mass space between stellar-mass and super massive black holes, with their total mass in the range of about 100 to 100,000 solar masses. Detection of IMBH mergers would help us explore their formation channels. The IMBH search is currently sensitive to coalescences of black hole binaries covering a total mass range between 50-600 solar masses. Recent publications in astrophysics point to the physical importance of the IMBH search (they may shed light on certain supernova mechanisms). In light of the conclusion of the 1st Advanced LIGO search conducted between September 2015 and January 2016 (O1 run), I will provide an update on the IMBH search (software GstLAL based, using matched-filter) on this data and will discuss the feasibility of including the IMBH search with the stellar-mass black hole search space (total mass range 2-100 solar masses), thus achieving a combined search for future runs. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:42PM - 2:54PM |
Y11.00007: Enhancing our Search for Missing Intermediate Mass Black Holes Using Advanced LIGO Karan Jani The current generation of ground-based gravitational-wave detectors are most sensitive to mergers of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBH), with search volume of cosmological distances of redshift $\sim 1$ and detectable total-mass up to $\sim 1000 M_\odot$. Two independent searches for binary black holes, matched-filtering and transient burst, are specifically configured to look for IMBH binaries in Advanced LIGO. I summarize the results from both these searches during the first observing run of Advanced LIGO and narrate our plans to enhance detection volume and detectable total-mass. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 2:54PM - 3:06PM |
Y11.00008: Parameter estimation of gravitational wave compact binary coalescences Carl-Johan Haster The first detections of gravitational waves from coalescing binary black holes have allowed unprecedented inference on the astrophysical parameters of such binaries. Given recent updates in detector capabilities, gravitational wave model templates and data analysis techniques, in this talk I will describe the prospects of parameter estimation of compact binary coalescences during the second observation run of the LIGO-Virgo collaboration. [Preview Abstract] |
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 3:06PM - 3:18PM |
Y11.00009: Directly comparing gravitational wave data to numerical relativity simulations: systematics Jacob Lange, Richard O'Shaughnessy, James Healy, Carlos Lousto, Yosef Zlochower, Deirdre Shoemaker, Geoffrey Lovelace, Christopher Pankow, Patrick Brady, Mark Scheel, Harald Pfeiffer, Serguei Ossokine We compare synthetic data directly to complete numerical relativity simulations of binary black holes. In doing so, we circumvent ad-hoc approximations introduced in semi-analytical models previously used in gravitational wave parameter estimation and compare the data against the most accurate waveforms including higher modes. In this talk, we focus on the synthetic studies that test potential sources of systematic errors. We also run "end-to-end" studies of intrinsically different synthetic sources to show we can recover parameters for different systems. [Preview Abstract] |
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