ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4566-6888
Current Organisations
California Institute of Technology
,
University of Western Australia
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Astronomical and Space Sciences | General Relativity and Gravitational Waves | Astronomical sciences | Quantum Optics | Optical Technology | Lasers and quantum electronics | General relativity and gravitational waves | Cosmology and Extragalactic Astronomy |
Expanding Knowledge in the Physical Sciences | Expanding Knowledge in Technology | Expanding Knowledge in Engineering |
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 03-10-2023
DOI: 10.1364/OE.502911
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 19-03-2020
Abstract: On 2019 April 25, the LIGO Livingston detector observed a compact binary coalescence with signal-to-noise ratio 12.9. The Virgo detector was also taking data that did not contribute to detection due to a low signal-to-noise ratio, but were used for subsequent parameter estimation. The 90% credible intervals for the component masses range from to ( – if we restrict the dimensionless component spin magnitudes to be smaller than 0.05). These mass parameters are consistent with the in idual binary components being neutron stars. However, both the source-frame chirp mass and the total mass of this system are significantly larger than those of any other known binary neutron star (BNS) system. The possibility that one or both binary components of the system are black holes cannot be ruled out from gravitational-wave data. We discuss possible origins of the system based on its inconsistency with the known Galactic BNS population. Under the assumption that the signal was produced by a BNS coalescence, the local rate of neutron star mergers is updated to 250–2810 .
Publisher: SPIE
Date: 20-12-2019
DOI: 10.1117/12.2542601
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 02-05-2018
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 04-09-2019
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 06-2022
Abstract: Isolated neutron stars that are asymmetric with respect to their spin axis are possible sources of detectable continuous gravitational waves. This paper presents a fully coherent search for such signals from eighteen pulsars in data from LIGO and Virgo’s third observing run (O3). For known pulsars, efficient and sensitive matched-filter searches can be carried out if one assumes the gravitational radiation is phase-locked to the electromagnetic emission. In the search presented here, we relax this assumption and allow both the frequency and the time derivative of the frequency of the gravitational waves to vary in a small range around those inferred from electromagnetic observations. We find no evidence for continuous gravitational waves, and set upper limits on the strain litude for each target. These limits are more constraining for seven of the targets than the spin-down limit defined by ascribing all rotational energy loss to gravitational radiation. In an additional search, we look in O3 data for long-duration (hours–months) transient gravitational waves in the aftermath of pulsar glitches for six targets with a total of nine glitches. We report two marginal outliers from this search, but find no clear evidence for such emission either. The resulting duration-dependent strain upper limits do not surpass indirect energy constraints for any of these targets.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 03-2021
Abstract: This paper presents the gravitational-wave measurement of the Hubble constant ( H 0 ) using the detections from the first and second observing runs of the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detector network. The presence of the transient electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star GW170817 led to the first standard-siren measurement of H 0 . Here we additionally use binary black hole detections in conjunction with galaxy catalogs and report a joint measurement. Our updated measurement is H 0 = 69 − 8 + 16 km s −1 Mpc −1 (68.3% of the highest density posterior interval with a flat-in-log prior) which is an improvement by a factor of 1.04 (about 4%) over the GW170817-only value of 69 − 8 + 17 km s −1 Mpc −1 . A significant additional contribution currently comes from GW170814, a loud and well-localized detection from a part of the sky thoroughly covered by the Dark Energy Survey. With numerous detections anticipated over the upcoming years, an exhaustive understanding of other systematic effects are also going to become increasingly important. These results establish the path to cosmology using gravitational-wave observations with and without transient electromagnetic counterparts.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 30-09-2019
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 24-03-2022
Abstract: Parametric instability (PI), induced by the interaction between the cavity optical modes and acoustic modes of a mirror, is an inherent risk in interferometric gravitational wave detectors. The instability can result in exponential growth in acoustic mode litude and the saturation of detectors control systems. In this paper we analyse PI in the neutron star extreme matter observatory, a proposed high optical power (4.5 MW) detector, operating at cryogenic temperatures with silicon test masses (TMs), targeting high sensitivity between 1 and 4 kHz. Our results show that with current design parameters, approximately 16 unstable modes will arise per TM with maximum parametric gain ∼10. Varying the TM radius of curvature from the nominal values could eliminate PI, however not with current manufacture or actuator capability. PI mitigation will be required to suppress all unstable modes. This analysis identifies four optical modes and 16 acoustic modes dominating PI in NEMO paves the way for the design of PI mitigation strategies.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 04-2022
Abstract: We search for gravitational-wave signals associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi and Swift satellites during the second half of the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (2019 November 1 15:00 UTC–2020 March 27 17:00 UTC). We conduct two independent searches: a generic gravitational-wave transients search to analyze 86 GRBs and an analysis to target binary mergers with at least one neutron star as short GRB progenitors for 17 events. We find no significant evidence for gravitational-wave signals associated with any of these GRBs. A weighted binomial test of the combined results finds no evidence for subthreshold gravitational-wave signals associated with this GRB ensemble either. We use several source types and signal morphologies during the searches, resulting in lower bounds on the estimated distance to each GRB. Finally, we constrain the population of low-luminosity short GRBs using results from the first to the third observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The resulting population is in accordance with the local binary neutron star merger rate.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 08-2022
Abstract: We present a targeted search for continuous gravitational waves (GWs) from 236 pulsars using data from the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo (O3) combined with data from the second observing run (O2). Searches were for emission from the l = m = 2 mass quadrupole mode with a frequency at only twice the pulsar rotation frequency (single harmonic) and the l = 2, m = 1, 2 modes with a frequency of both once and twice the rotation frequency (dual harmonic). No evidence of GWs was found, so we present 95% credible upper limits on the strain litudes h 0 for the single-harmonic search along with limits on the pulsars’ mass quadrupole moments Q 22 and ellipticities ε . Of the pulsars studied, 23 have strain litudes that are lower than the limits calculated from their electromagnetically measured spin-down rates. These pulsars include the millisecond pulsars J0437−4715 and J0711−6830, which have spin-down ratios of 0.87 and 0.57, respectively. For nine pulsars, their spin-down limits have been surpassed for the first time. For the Crab and Vela pulsars, our limits are factors of ∼100 and ∼20 more constraining than their spin-down limits, respectively. For the dual-harmonic searches, new limits are placed on the strain litudes C 21 and C 22 . For 23 pulsars, we also present limits on the emission litude assuming dipole radiation as predicted by Brans-Dicke theory.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 28-09-2020
Abstract: Advanced LIGO and other ground-based interferometric gravitational-wave detectors use high laser power to minimize shot noise and suspended optics to reduce seismic noise coupling. This can result in an opto-mechanical coupling which can become unstable and saturate the interferometer control systems. The severity of these parametric instabilities scales with circulating laser power and first hindered LIGO operations in 2014. Static thermal tuning and active electrostatic d ing have previously been used to control parametric instabilities at lower powers but are insufficient as power is increased. Here we report the first demonstration of dynamic thermal compensation to avoid parametric instability in an Advanced LIGO detector. Annular ring heaters that compensate central heating are used to tune the optical mode away from multiple problematic mirror resonance frequencies. We develop a single-cavity approximation model to simulate the optical beat note frequency during the central heating and ring heating transient. An experiment of dynamic ring heater tuning at the LIGO Livingston detector was carried out at 170 kW circulating power and, in agreement with our model, the third order optical beat note is controlled to avoid instability of the 15 and 15.5 kHz mechanical modes. We project that dynamic thermal compensation with ring heater input conditioning can be used in parallel with acoustic mode d ers to control the optical mode transient and avoid parametric instability of these modes up to Advanced LIGO’s design circulating power of 750 kW. The experiment also demonstrates the use of three mode interaction monitoring as a sensor of the cavity geometry, used to maintain the g -factor product to g 1 g 2 = 0.829 ± 0.004.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 30-09-2019
Abstract: When formed through dynamical interactions, stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) may retain eccentric orbits ( e 0.1 at 10 Hz) detectable by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Eccentricity can therefore be used to differentiate dynamically formed binaries from isolated BBH mergers. Current template-based gravitational-wave searches do not use waveform models associated with eccentric orbits, rendering the search less efficient for eccentric binary systems. Here we present the results of a search for BBH mergers that inspiral in eccentric orbits using data from the first and second observing runs (O1 and O2) of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We carried out the search with the coherent WaveBurst algorithm, which uses minimal assumptions on the signal morphology and does not rely on binary waveform templates. We show that it is sensitive to binary mergers with a detection range that is weakly dependent on eccentricity for all bound systems. Our search did not identify any new binary merger candidates. We interpret these results in light of eccentric binary formation models. We rule out formation channels with rates ≳100 Gpc −3 yr −1 for e 0.1, assuming a black hole mass spectrum with a power-law index ≲2.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 11-09-2019
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 13-07-2021
DOI: 10.1364/OE.430276
Abstract: Optical loss plays a significant role in optical experiments involving optical cavities such as recycling cavities and filter cavities in laser interferometer gravitational-wave detectors. For those cavities, modal frequency degeneracy, where the fundamental and a higher order mode resonate inside the cavity simultaneously, is a potential mechanism which may bring extra optical loss to the cavity thus degrade detection sensitivity. In this paper, we report observation of modal frequency degeneracy in a large-scale suspended Fabry-Pérot cavity. The cavity g -factor is tuned by a CO 2 laser heating one test mass, and the cavity finesse is obtained from a ring-down measurement of the transmitted light. We demonstrate that the modal frequency degeneracy can cause a reduction of the cavity finesse by up to ∼30%, corresponding to a ∼2-fold increase in total optical loss. To minimize optical loss in gravitational-wave detectors, the effect of modal frequency degeneracy needs to be taken into account in the design and operation of the detector.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 29-03-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2020
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 24-08-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-10-2016
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 18-05-2017
Publisher: The Optical Society
Date: 28-03-2016
DOI: 10.1364/AO.55.002619
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 06-02-2023
DOI: 10.1063/5.0136869
Abstract: Excellent mechanical and thermal properties of silicon make it a promising material for the test masses in future gravitational wave detectors. However, the birefringence of silicon test masses, due to impurity and residual stress during crystal growth or external stress, can reduce the interference contrast in an interferometer. Using the polarization–modulation approach and a scanning system, we mapped the birefringence of a float zone silicon test mass in the ⟨100⟩ crystal orientation to assess the suitability of such material for future gravitational wave detectors. Apart from the stress-induced birefringence at the supporting area due to the weight of the test mass, the high resolution birefringence map of the silicon test mass revealed a high birefringence feature in the test mass. At the central 40 mm area, birefringence is in the range of mid 10−9 to low 10−8, which satisfy the requirement for future gravitational wave detectors.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 07-04-2017
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 28-07-2023
Abstract: The global network of gravitational-wave observatories now includes five detectors, namely LIGO Hanford, LIGO Livingston, Virgo, KAGRA, and GEO 600. These detectors collected data during their third observing run, O3, composed of three phases: O3a starting in 2019 April and lasting six months, O3b starting in 2019 November and lasting five months, and O3GK starting in 2020 April and lasting two weeks. In this paper we describe these data and various other science products that can be freely accessed through the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center at gwosc.org . The main data set, consisting of the gravitational-wave strain time series that contains the astrophysical signals, is released together with supporting data useful for their analysis and documentation, tutorials, as well as analysis software packages.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1017/PASA.2020.39
Abstract: Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-09-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S41114-020-00026-9
Abstract: We present our current best estimate of the plausible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next several years, with the intention of providing information to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals for the third (O3), fourth (O4) and fifth observing (O5) runs, including the planned upgrades of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. We study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source for gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary systems of compact objects, that is binary neutron star, neutron star–black hole, and binary black hole systems. The ability to localize the sources is given as a sky-area probability, luminosity distance, and comoving volume. The median sky localization area (90% credible region) is expected to be a few hundreds of square degrees for all types of binary systems during O3 with the Advanced LIGO and Virgo (HLV) network. The median sky localization area will improve to a few tens of square degrees during O4 with the Advanced LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (HLVK) network. During O3, the median localization volume (90% credible region) is expected to be on the order of $$10^{5}, 10^{6}, 10^{7}\\mathrm {\\ Mpc}^3$$ 10 5 , 10 6 , 10 7 Mpc 3 for binary neutron star, neutron star–black hole, and binary black hole systems, respectively. The localization volume in O4 is expected to be about a factor two smaller than in O3. We predict a detection count of $$1^{+12}_{-1}$$ 1 - 1 + 12 ( $$10^{+52}_{-10}$$ 10 - 10 + 52 ) for binary neutron star mergers, of $$0^{+19}_{-0}$$ 0 - 0 + 19 ( $$1^{+91}_{-1}$$ 1 - 1 + 91 ) for neutron star–black hole mergers, and $$17^{+22}_{-11}$$ 17 - 11 + 22 ( $$79^{+89}_{-44}$$ 79 - 44 + 89 ) for binary black hole mergers in a one-calendar-year observing run of the HLV network during O3 (HLVK network during O4). We evaluate sensitivity and localization expectations for unmodeled signal searches, including the search for intermediate mass black hole binary mergers.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 15-06-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 22-01-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-04-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S41114-018-0012-9
Abstract: We present possible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next decade, with the intention of providing information to the astronomy community to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals, and study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source. We report our findings for gravitational-wave transients, with particular focus on gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary neutron star systems, which are the most promising targets for multi-messenger astronomy. The ability to localize the sources of the detected signals depends on the geographical distribution of the detectors and their relative sensitivity, and $$90\\%$$ 90 % credible regions can be as large as thousands of square degrees when only two sensitive detectors are operational. Determining the sky position of a significant fraction of detected signals to areas of 5– $$20~\\mathrm {deg}^2$$ 20 deg 2 requires at least three detectors of sensitivity within a factor of $$\\sim 2$$ ∼ 2 of each other and with a broad frequency bandwidth. When all detectors, including KAGRA and the third LIGO detector in India, reach design sensitivity, a significant fraction of gravitational-wave signals will be localized to a few square degrees by gravitational-wave observations alone.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 11-11-2021
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202141452
Abstract: Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) span the approximate mass range 100−10 5 M ⊙ , between black holes (BHs) that formed by stellar collapse and the supermassive BHs at the centers of galaxies. Mergers of IMBH binaries are the most energetic gravitational-wave sources accessible by the terrestrial detector network. Searches of the first two observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo did not yield any significant IMBH binary signals. In the third observing run (O3), the increased network sensitivity enabled the detection of GW190521, a signal consistent with a binary merger of mass ∼150 M ⊙ providing direct evidence of IMBH formation. Here, we report on a dedicated search of O3 data for further IMBH binary mergers, combining both modeled (matched filter) and model-independent search methods. We find some marginal candidates, but none are sufficiently significant to indicate detection of further IMBH mergers. We quantify the sensitivity of the in idual search methods and of the combined search using a suite of IMBH binary signals obtained via numerical relativity, including the effects of spins misaligned with the binary orbital axis, and present the resulting upper limits on astrophysical merger rates. Our most stringent limit is for equal mass and aligned spin BH binary of total mass 200 M ⊙ and effective aligned spin 0.8 at 0.056 Gpc −3 yr −1 (90% confidence), a factor of 3.5 more constraining than previous LIGO-Virgo limits. We also update the estimated rate of mergers similar to GW190521 to 0.08 Gpc −3 yr −1 .
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 10-2020
Abstract: We present a search for continuous gravitational waves from five radio pulsars, comprising three recycled pulsars (PSR J0437−4715, PSR J0711−6830, and PSR J0737−3039A) and two young pulsars: the Crab pulsar (J0534+2200) and the Vela pulsar (J0835−4510). We use data from the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Virgo combined with data from their first and second observing runs. For the first time, we are able to match (for PSR J0437−4715) or surpass (for PSR J0711−6830) the indirect limits on gravitational-wave emission from recycled pulsars inferred from their observed spin-downs, and constrain their equatorial ellipticities to be less than 10 −8 . For each of the five pulsars, we perform targeted searches that assume a tight coupling between the gravitational-wave and electromagnetic signal phase evolution. We also present constraints on PSR J0711−6830, the Crab pulsar, and the Vela pulsar from a search that relaxes this assumption, allowing the gravitational-wave signal to vary from the electromagnetic expectation within a narrow band of frequencies and frequency derivatives.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 12-04-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 11-2022
Abstract: Seismic noise poses challenges for gravitational wave detection. Effective vibration isolation and methods to subtract unshieldable Newtonian noise (NN) are ex les. Seismic arrays offer one way to deal with these issues by making use of correlations between seismic ground measurements and noise inside the detector. In this paper we find that wind induced seismic noise is incoherent and our results show that it can dramatically reduce the projected low frequency sensitivity of future gravitational wave detectors. To quantify this, we measure the coherence length of wind induced seismic noise from 0.06–20 Hz in three distinct locations: close to a building, among tall trees and in shrubs. We show that wind induced seismic noise is ubiquitous and reduces the coherence lengths from several hundred meters to 2–40 m for 0.06–0.1 Hz, from $?> 60 m to 3–16 m for 1.5–2.5 Hz and from $?> 35 m to 1–16 m around 16.6 Hz in the study area. This leads to significant loss of velocity resolution of the array for primary microseism and 5 times worse NN cancellation by Wiener filtering at 2 Hz, while it may not pose additional limitation to NN cancellation between 10–20 Hz.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 29-06-2021
Abstract: We report the observation of gravitational waves from two compact binary coalescences in LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run with properties consistent with neutron star–black hole (NSBH) binaries. The two events are named GW200105_162426 and GW200115_042309, abbreviated as GW200105 and GW200115 the first was observed by LIGO Livingston and Virgo and the second by all three LIGO–Virgo detectors. The source of GW200105 has component masses 8 . 9 − 1 . 5 + 1. 2 and 1. 9 − 0. 2 + 0. 3 M ⊙ , whereas the source of GW200115 has component masses 5. 7 − 2 . 1 + 1. 8 and 1. 5 − 0. 3 + 0. 7 M ⊙ (all measurements quoted at the 90% credible level). The probability that the secondary’s mass is below the maximal mass of a neutron star is 89%–96% and 87%–98%, respectively, for GW200105 and GW200115, with the ranges arising from different astrophysical assumptions. The source luminosity distances are 280 − 110 + 110 and 300 − 100 + 150 Mpc , respectively. The magnitude of the primary spin of GW200105 is less than 0.23 at the 90% credible level, and its orientation is unconstrained. For GW200115, the primary spin has a negative spin projection onto the orbital angular momentum at 88% probability. We are unable to constrain the spin or tidal deformation of the secondary component for either event. We infer an NSBH merger rate density of 45 − 33 + 75 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 when assuming that GW200105 and GW200115 are representative of the NSBH population or 130 − 69 + 112 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 under the assumption of a broader distribution of component masses.
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 30-04-2021
DOI: 10.1364/AO.419689
Abstract: Small, highly absorbing points are randomly present on the surfaces of the main interferometer optics in Advanced LIGO. The resulting nanometer scale thermo-elastic deformations and substrate lenses from these micron-scale absorbers significantly reduce the sensitivity of the interferometer directly though a reduction in the power-recycling gain and indirect interactions with the feedback control system. We review the expected surface deformation from point absorbers and provide a pedagogical description of the impact on power buildup in second generation gravitational wave detectors (dual-recycled Fabry–Perot Michelson interferometers). This analysis predicts that the power-dependent reduction in interferometer performance will significantly degrade maximum stored power by up to 50% and, hence, limit GW sensitivity, but it suggests system wide corrections that can be implemented in current and future GW detectors. This is particularly pressing given that future GW detectors call for an order of magnitude more stored power than currently used in Advanced LIGO in Observing Run 3. We briefly review strategies to mitigate the effects of point absorbers in current and future GW wave detectors to maximize the success of these enterprises.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 29-06-2017
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 20-08-2020
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 24-03-2022
DOI: 10.1364/OL.454102
Abstract: Parametric instability (PI) is a phenomenon that results from resonant interactions between optical and acoustic modes of a laser cavity. This is problematic in gravitational wave interferometers where the high intracavity power and low mechanical loss mirror suspension systems create an environment where three-mode PI will occur without intervention. We demonstrate a technique for real-time imaging of the litude and phase of the optical modes of PI yielding, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first ever images of this phenomenon which could form part of active control strategies for future detectors.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 12-2022
Abstract: We present the results of a model-based search for continuous gravitational waves from the low-mass X-ray binary Scorpius X-1 using LIGO detector data from the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. This is a semicoherent search that uses details of the signal model to coherently combine data separated by less than a specified coherence time, which can be adjusted to balance sensitivity with computing cost. The search covered a range of gravitational-wave frequencies from 25 to 1600 Hz, as well as ranges in orbital speed, frequency, and phase determined from observational constraints. No significant detection candidates were found, and upper limits were set as a function of frequency. The most stringent limits, between 100 and 200 Hz, correspond to an litude h 0 of about 10 −25 when marginalized isotropically over the unknown inclination angle of the neutron star’s rotation axis, or less than 4 × 10 −26 assuming the optimal orientation. The sensitivity of this search is now probing litudes predicted by models of torque balance equilibrium. For the usual conservative model assuming accretion at the surface of the neutron star, our isotropically marginalized upper limits are close to the predicted litude from about 70 to 100 Hz the limits assuming that the neutron star spin is aligned with the most likely orbital angular momentum are below the conservative torque balance predictions from 40 to 200 Hz. Assuming a broader range of accretion models, our direct limits on gravitational-wave litude delve into the relevant parameter space over a wide range of frequencies, to 500 Hz or more.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 04-09-2019
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 05-12-2019
Publisher: SPIE
Date: 05-03-2021
DOI: 10.1117/12.2579001
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 13-09-2021
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 29-05-2020
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 06-12-2019
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 23-12-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 04-12-2019
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 20-11-2019
Publisher: OSA
Date: 2018
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 26-06-2019
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 20-04-2020
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 28-09-2023
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 07-12-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 16-06-2021
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 13-12-2017
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 18-10-2019
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 26-06-2023
DOI: 10.1063/5.0137001
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate that the optical spring effect can be modified using an optical parametric lifier in an opto-mechanical cavity. The theoretical analysis shows that both the gain and phase of the optical parametric lifier can modify the frequency of a mechanical resonator in an opto-mechanical cavity. This modification could be used to tune the frequency of peak sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors. The experimental results show a factor of 1.2 ± 0.8 increase in mechanical resonator frequency shift induced by optical spring by tuning the optical parametric lifier gain.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 18-12-2017
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 06-2023
Abstract: We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO–Virgo–Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC–3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H ( z ), including its current value, the Hubble constant H 0 . Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H ( z ). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34 M ⊙ , followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with the redshift results in a H ( z ) measurement, yielding H 0 = 68 − 8 + 12 km s − 1 Mpc − 1 (68% credible interval) when combined with the H 0 measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17% with respect to the H 0 estimate from GWTC–1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+ , statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event’s potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of H 0 = 68 − 6 + 8 km s − 1 Mpc − 1 with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42% with respect to our GWTC–1 result and 20% with respect to recent H 0 studies using GWTC–2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about H 0 ) is the well-localized event GW190814.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-10-2017
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE24471
Abstract: On 17 August 2017, the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors observed the gravitational-wave event GW170817-a strong signal from the merger of a binary neutron-star system. Less than two seconds after the merger, a γ-ray burst (GRB 170817A) was detected within a region of the sky consistent with the LIGO-Virgo-derived location of the gravitational-wave source. This sky region was subsequently observed by optical astronomy facilities, resulting in the identification of an optical transient signal within about ten arcseconds of the galaxy NGC 4993. This detection of GW170817 in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves represents the first 'multi-messenger' astronomical observation. Such observations enable GW170817 to be used as a 'standard siren' (meaning that the absolute distance to the source can be determined directly from the gravitational-wave measurements) to measure the Hubble constant. This quantity represents the local expansion rate of the Universe, sets the overall scale of the Universe and is of fundamental importance to cosmology. Here we report a measurement of the Hubble constant that combines the distance to the source inferred purely from the gravitational-wave signal with the recession velocity inferred from measurements of the redshift using the electromagnetic data. In contrast to previous measurements, ours does not require the use of a cosmic 'distance ladder': the gravitational-wave analysis can be used to estimate the luminosity distance out to cosmological scales directly, without the use of intermediate astronomical distance measurements. We determine the Hubble constant to be about 70 kilometres per second per megaparsec. This value is consistent with existing measurements, while being completely independent of them. Additional standard siren measurements from future gravitational-wave sources will enable the Hubble constant to be constrained to high precision.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 08-10-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2015
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 28-04-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 21-09-2022
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1063/1.5021503
Abstract: Low acoustic loss suspension systems are essential components in low thermal noise instruments including gravitational wave detectors. Monolithic fused silica suspensions have been used successfully with fused silica test masses but may not be suitable in next generation detectors that may use sapphire or silicon test masses. Here we report a study of a modular suspension system with high replaceability. The system is based on high pressure gravitationally attached mechanical contacts which have been previously shown to contribute low acoustic losses to sapphire resonators. Here we combine high pressure contacts with cantilevers and fibres to create sets of four suspension modules which are shown to have low loss contributions to fused silica test masses in a 74-m high-finesse optical cavity. Results are combined with finite element simulations to estimate the strain energy distributions of the eigenmodes. By combining the simulations and measurement results, the test mass loss angle due to the coupling to the suspension system was estimated. The modular suspension system is shown to contribute & % to the total test mass acoustic loss. Such suspension systems could have applications for test masses or subsystems in next generation gravitational wave detectors.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 12-03-2021
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 04-05-2021
DOI: 10.1364/OE.425433
Abstract: We present a novel design for an angle sensor based on photon coupling to internal optical modes of a two dimensional photonic crystal. We show in simulation that an implementation of this design could achieve sensitivities as high as 1.61 × 10 6 V/rad, which in principle allows for angle measurements with a noise floor of 2.98 × 10 −14 rad / Hz at the photodiode noise equivalent power. We discuss the limitations of this design and predict the impact these limitations have on the sensitivity as well as the possible ways to further increase the devices sensitivity. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate experimentally a photonic crystal with an angle sensitive mode.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 16-10-2017
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 18-06-2021
Abstract: Cooling objects to low temperature can increase the sensitivity of sensors and the operational performance of most devices. Removing most of the thermal vibrations—or phonons—such that the object reaches its motional quantum ground state has been achieved but typically with tiny, nanoscale objects. Using the suspended mirrors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) that form a 10-kg optomechanical oscillator, Whittle et al. demonstrate the ability to cool such a large-scale object to nearly the motional ground state. An upgrade to LIGO with such a modification could increase its sensitivity and range to gravitational waves but also extend studies of quantum mechanics to large-scale objects. Science , abh2634, this issue p. 1333
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 26-08-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-04-2022
DOI: 10.1093/PTEP/PTAC073
Abstract: We report the results of the first joint observation of the KAGRA detector with GEO 600. KAGRA is a cryogenic and underground gravitational-wave detector consisting of a laser interferometer with 3 km arms, located in Kamioka, Gifu, Japan. GEO 600 is a British–German laser interferometer with 600 m arms, located near Hannover, Germany. GEO 600 and KAGRA performed a joint observing run from April 7 to 20, 2020. We present the results of the joint analysis of the GEO–KAGRA data for transient gravitational-wave signals, including the coalescence of neutron-star binaries and generic unmodeled transients. We also perform dedicated searches for binary coalescence signals and generic transients associated with gamma-ray burst events observed during the joint run. No gravitational-wave events were identified. We evaluate the minimum detectable litude for various types of transient signals and the spacetime volume for which the network is sensitive to binary neutron-star coalescences. We also place lower limits on the distances to the gamma-ray bursts analyzed based on the non-detection of an associated gravitational-wave signal for several signal models, including binary coalescences. These analyses demonstrate the feasibility and utility of KAGRA as a member of the global gravitational-wave detector network.
Publisher: Optica Publishing Group
Date: 19-01-2021
DOI: 10.1364/OE.415298
Abstract: We investigated the frequency noise coupling mechanism of a 2 μ m polarization-maintaining single frequency fiber laser (SFFL) theoretically and experimentally. The coupling of pump’s relative intensity noise (RIN) to frequency noise of a single-frequency high-gain silica fiber laser is shown experimentally to be consistent with a theoretical model where thermal expansion and thermo-optic effect mediate the coupling. The measured and theoretical frequency noise of the 2 μ m SFFL with three pump sources is compared. We find using a 1550 nm single frequency laser pump source produces the lowest frequency noise, less than 100 H z / H z at frequencies higher than 100 Hz.
Publisher: World Scientific Pub Co Pte Lt
Date: 20-10-2015
DOI: 10.1142/S0217751X15450190
Abstract: This paper begins by reviewing the development of gravitational wave astronomy from the first predictions of gravitational waves to development of technologies across the entire gravitational wave spectrum, and then focuses on the current status of ground based gravitational wave detectors. With substantial improvements already demonstrated in early commissioning it is emphasised that Advanced detectors are on track for first detection of gravitational waves. The importance of a worldwide array of detectors is emphasised, and recent results are shown that demonstrate the continued advantage of a southern hemisphere detector. Finally it is shown that a north–south pair of 8 km arm length detectors would give rise to a dramatic improvement in event rate, enabling a pair of detectors to encompass a 64-times larger volume of the universe, to conduct a census on all stellar mass black hole mergers to [Formula: see text] and to observe neutron star mergers to a distance of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]800 Mpc.
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1063/5.0106565
Abstract: Thermal noise in test mass substrates and coatings is a significant noise contribution in the detection band of current and proposed future gravitational wave detectors. Substrate thermal noise can be reduced by using high mechanical Q-factor materials and cooling the test mass mirrors. Silicon is a promising potential candidate for the next generation detector test masses. The low thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity of silicon allow efficient cryogenic operation, and a significant increase in the amount of optical power that can be used in the detectors by decreasing thermal deformation and aberration. Mechanical stress, damage, poor surface quality or contamination can result in increased loss and thermal noise. Therefore, the characterization of mechanical loss in silicon test masses is necessary. In this project, we developed a technique to measure high Q-factor mechanical modes. We used finite element modeling to optimize the design of the test mass support structure to minimize the loss coupling from the support structure over a wide frequency range. Mechanical Q-factors of the order of 107 were achieved for several modes of a 10 cm diam. × 3 cm cylindrical silicon test mass with such a support at room temperature.
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 05-2023
DOI: 10.1063/5.0140766
Abstract: Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo have detected gravitational waves from astronomical sources to open a new window on the Universe. To explore this new realm requires an exquisite level of detector sensitivity, meaning that the much stronger signal from instrumental and environmental noise must be rejected. Selected ex les of unwanted noise in Advanced LIGO are presented. The initial focus is on how the existence of this noise (characterized by particular frequencies or time intervals) was discovered. Then, a variety of methods are used to track down the source of the noise, e.g., a fault within the instruments or coupling from an external source. The ultimate goal of this effort is to mitigate the noise by either fixing equipment or by augmenting methods to suppress the coupling to the environment.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 09-08-2022
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1063/1.5049508
Abstract: Advanced gravitational wave detectors use suspended test masses to form optical resonant cavities for enhancing the detector sensitivity. These cavities store hundreds of kilowatts of coherent light and even higher optical power for future detectors. With such high optical power, the radiation pressure effect inside the cavity creates a sufficiently strong coupling between test masses whose dynamics are significantly altered. The dynamics of two independent nearly free masses become a coupled mechanical resonator system. The transfer function of the local control system used for controlling the test masses is modified by the radiation pressure effect. The changes in the transfer function of the local control systems can result in a new type of angular instability which occurs at only 1.3% of the Sidles-Sigg instability threshold power. We report the experimental results on a 74 m suspended cavity with a few kilowatts of circulating power, for which the power to mass ratio is comparable to the current Advanced LIGO. The radiation pressure effect on the test masses behaves like an additional optical feedback with respect to the local angular control, potentially making the mirror control system unstable. When the local angular control system is optimised for maximum stability margin, the instability threshold power increases from 4 kW to 29 kW. The system behaviour is consistent with our simulation, and the power dependent evolution of both the cavity soft and hard mode is observed. We show that this phenomenon is likely to significantly affect the proposed gravitational wave detectors that require very high optical power.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 15-06-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 03-06-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 23-07-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 19-01-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 05-05-2015
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1063/1.5000264
Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the transient behavior of the Advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) suspensions used to seismically isolate the optics. We have characterized the transients in the longitudinal motion of the quadruple suspensions during Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Propagation of transients between stages is consistent with modeled transfer functions, such that transient motion originating at the top of the suspension chain is significantly reduced in litude at the test mass. We find that there are transients seen by the longitudinal motion monitors of quadruple suspensions, but they are not significantly correlated with transient motion above the noise floor in the gravitational wave strain data, and therefore do not present a dominant source of background noise in the searches for transient gravitational wave signals. Using the suspension transfer functions, we compared the transients in a week of gravitational wave strain data with transients from a quadruple suspension. Of the strain transients between 10 and 60 Hz, 84% are loud enough that they would have appeared above the sensor noise in the top stage quadruple suspension monitors if they had originated at that stage at the same frequencies. We find no significant temporal correlation with the suspension transients in that stage, so we can rule out suspension motion originating at the top stage as the cause of those transients. However, only 3.2% of the gravitational wave strain transients are loud enough that they would have been seen by the second stage suspension sensors, and none of them are above the sensor noise levels of the penultimate stage. Therefore, we cannot eliminate the possibility of transient noise in the detectors originating in the intermediate stages of the suspension below the sensing noise.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 27-07-2021
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 31-03-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 09-05-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 02-04-2020
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 28-11-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 02-09-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-02-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S42005-021-00526-2
Abstract: Gravitational waves from the neutron star coalescence GW170817 were observed from the inspiral, but not the high frequency postmerger nuclear matter motion. Optomechanical white light signal recycling has been proposed for achieving broadband sensitivity in gravitational wave detectors, but has been reliant on development of suitable ultra-low loss mechanical components. Here we show demonstrated optomechanical resonators that meet loss requirements for a white light signal recycling interferometer with strain sensitivity below 10 −24 Hz −1/2 at a few kHz. Experimental data for two resonators are combined with analytic models of interferometers similar to LIGO to demonstrate enhancement across a broader band of frequencies versus dual-recycled Fabry-Perot Michelson detectors. Candidate resonators are a silicon nitride membrane acoustically isolated by a phononic crystal, and a single-crystal quartz acoustic cavity. Optical power requirements favour the membrane resonator, while thermal noise performance favours the quartz resonator. Both could be implemented as add-on components to existing detectors.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 09-06-2021
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 28-04-2023
Abstract: A critical consideration in the design of next-generation gravitational wave detectors is the understanding of the seismic environment that can introduce coherent and incoherent noise of seismic origin at different frequencies. We present detailed low-frequency ambient seismic noise characterisation (0.1–10 Hz) at the Gingin site in Western Australia. Unlike the microseism band (0.06–1 Hz) for which the power shows strong correlations with nearby buoy measurements in the Indian Ocean, the seismic spectrum above 1 Hz is a complex superposition of wind induced seismic noise and anthropogenic seismic noise which can be characterised using beamforming to distinguish between the effects of coherent and incoherent wind induced seismic noise combined with temporal variations in the spatio-spectral properties of seismic noise. This also helps characterise the anthropogenic seismic noise. We show that wind induced seismic noise can either increase or decrease the coherency of background seismic noise for wind speeds above 6 m s −1 due to the interaction of wind with various surface objects. In comparison to the seismic noise at the Virgo site, the secondary microseism (0.2 Hz) noise level is higher in Gingin, but the seismic noise level between 1 and 10 Hz is lower due to the sparse population and absence of nearby road traffic.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 11-07-2019
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 05-11-2020
Abstract: Teleseismic, or distant, earthquakes regularly disrupt the operation of ground–based gravitational wave detectors such as Advanced LIGO. Here, we present EQ mode , a new global control scheme, consisting of an automated sequence of optimized control filters that reduces and coordinates the motion of the seismic isolation platforms during earthquakes. This, in turn, suppresses the differential motion of the interferometer arms with respect to one another, resulting in a reduction of DARM signal at frequencies below 100 mHz. Our method greatly improved the interferometers’ capability to remain operational during earthquakes, with ground velocities up to 3.9 μ m s −1 rms in the beam direction, setting a new record for both detectors. This sets a milestone in seismic controls of the Advanced LIGO detectors’ ability to manage high ground motion induced by earthquakes, opening a path for further robust operation in other extreme environmental conditions.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 11-09-2020
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 05-08-2022
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 20-02-2019
Location: United States of America
Start Date: 07-2022
End Date: 06-2023
Amount: $385,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 01-2024
End Date: 01-2025
Amount: $460,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 06-2019
End Date: 06-2023
Amount: $338,774.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity