Upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from advanced LIGO's first observing run

Abbott, B. P. and Abbott, R. and Abbott, T. D. and Abernathy, M. R. and Acernese, F. and Ackley, K. and Adams, C. and Adams, T. and Addesso, P. and Adhikari, R. X. and Adya, V. B. and Affeldt, C. and Agathos, M. and Agatsuma, K. and Aggarwal, N. and Aguiar, O. D. and Aiello, L. and Ain, A. and Ajith, P. and Allen, B. and Allocca, A. and Altin, P. A. and Ananyeva, A. and Anderson, S. B. and Anderson, W. G. and Appert, S. and Arai, K. and Araya, M. C. and Areeda, J. S. and Arnaud, N. and Arun, K. G. and Ascenzi, S. and Ashton, G. and Ast, M. and Aston, S. M. and Astone, P. and Aufmuth, P. and Aulbert, C. and Avila-Alvarez, A. and Babak, S. and Bacon, P. and Bader, M. K M and Baker, P. T. and Baldaccini, F. and Ballardin, G. and Ballmer, S. W. and Barayoga, J. C. and Jawahar, S. and Lockerbie, N. A. and Tokmakov, K. V., (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration) (2017) Upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from advanced LIGO's first observing run. Physical Review Letters, 118 (12). 121101. ISSN 1079-7114 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.121101)

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Abstract

A wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological sources are expected to contribute to a stochastic gravitational-wave background. Following the observations of GW150914 and GW151226, the rate and mass of coalescing binary black holes appear to be greater than many previous expectations. As a result, the stochastic background from unresolved compact binary coalescences is expected to be particularly loud. We perform a search for the isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background using data from Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. The data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. We constrain the dimensionless energy density of gravitational waves to be Ω0<1.7×10-7 with 95% confidence, assuming a flat energy density spectrum in the most sensitive part of the LIGO band (20-86 Hz). This is a factor of ∼33 times more sensitive than previous measurements. We also constrain arbitrary power-law spectra. Finally, we investigate the implications of this search for the background of binary black holes using an astrophysical model for the background.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:60485
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    24 March 2017
    Published
    7 December 2016
    Accepted
    Subjects:Science > Physics
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:20 Apr 2017 16:08
    Last modified:22 Apr 2024 00:35
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/60485
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