Improved upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from 2009–2010 LIGO and Virgo data

Aasi, J. et al. (2014) Improved upper limits on the stochastic gravitational-wave background from 2009–2010 LIGO and Virgo data. Physical Review Letters, 113(23), (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.231101)

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Abstract

Gravitational waves from a variety of sources are predicted to superpose to create a stochastic background. This background is expected to contain unique information from throughout the history of the Universe that is unavailable through standard electromagnetic observations, making its study of fundamental importance to understanding the evolution of the Universe. We carry out a search for the stochastic background with the latest data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Consistent with predictions from most stochastic gravitational-wave background models, the data display no evidence of a stochastic gravitational-wave signal. Assuming a gravitational-wave spectrum of ΩGW(f)=Ωα(f/fref)α, we place 95% confidence level upper limits on the energy density of the background in each of four frequency bands spanning 41.5–1726 Hz. In the frequency band of 41.5–169.25 Hz for a spectral index of α=0, we constrain the energy density of the stochastic background to be ΩGW(f)<5.6×10−6. For the 600–1000 Hz band, ΩGW(f)<0.14(f/900  Hz)3, a factor of 2.5 lower than the best previously reported upper limits. We find ΩGW(f)<1.8×10−4 using a spectral index of zero for 170–600 Hz and ΩGW(f)<1.0(f/1300  Hz)3 for 1000–1726 Hz, bands in which no previous direct limits have been placed. The limits in these four bands are the lowest direct measurements to date on the stochastic background. We discuss the implications of these results in light of the recent claim by the BICEP2 experiment of the possible evidence for inflationary gravitational waves.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Grant, Mr Alastair and Bell, Mr Christopher and MacDonald, Miss Erin and Messenger, Dr Christopher and Bell, Dr Angus and Hammond, Professor Giles and Hild, Professor Stefan and Barr, Dr Bryan and Sorazu Lucio, Dr Borja and Reid, Professor Stuart and Craig, Mr Kieran and Lawrie, Mr Craig and Leavey, Mr Sean and Gill, Mr Colin and Veitch, Dr John and Heng, Professor Ik Siong and van Veggel, Dr Marielle and Newton, Dr Gavin and Torrie, Dr Calum and Davies, Mr Gareth and Hu, Mr Yiming and Graef, Dr Christian and Hendry, Professor Martin and Douglas, Miss Rebecca and Scott, Dr Jamie and Rowan, Professor Sheila and Abernathy, Mr Matthew and Kumar, Mr Rahul and Martin, Dr Iain and Robertson, Professor Norna and Cumming, Dr Alan and Cunningham, Dr Liam and Woan, Professor Graham and Hough, Professor James and Huttner, Dr Sabina and Campsie, Mr Paul and Bassiri, Mr Riccardo and Strain, Professor Kenneth and Jones, Mr Russell and Haughian, Dr Karen and Murray, Dr Peter and Pitkin, Dr Matthew
Authors: Aasi, J., Abbott, B. P., Abbott, R., Abbott, T., Abernathy, M.R., Accadia, T., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adams, C., Adams, T., Addesso, P., Adhikari, R. X., Affeldt, C., Agathos, M., Aggarwal, N., Aguiar, O. D., Ain, A., Ajith, P., Alemic, A., Allen, B., Allocca, A., Amariutei, D., Andersen, M., Anderson, R., Anderson, S. B., Anderson, W. G., Arai, K., Araya, M. C., Arceneaux, C., Areeda, J., Aston, S. M., Astone, P., Aufmuth, P., Aulbert, C., Austin, L., Aylott, B. E., Babak, S., Baker, P. T., Ballardin, G., Ballmer, S. W., Barayoga, J. C., Barbet, M., Barish, B. C., Barker, D., Barone, F., Barr, B., Barsotti, L., Barsuglia, M., Barton, M. A., Bartos, I., Bassiri, R., Basti, A., Batch, J. C., Bauchrowitz, J., Bauer, T. S., Behnke, B., Bejger, M., Beker, M. G., Belczynski, C., Bell, A., Bell, C., Bergmann, G., Bersanetti, D., Bertolini, A., Betzwieser, J., Beyersdorf, P. T., Bilenko, I. A., Billingsley, G., Birch, J., Biscans, S., Bitossi, M., Bizouard, M. A., Black, E., Blackburn, J. K., Blackburn, L., Blair, D., Bloemen, S., Blom, M., Bock, O., Bodiya, T. P., Boer, M., Bogaert, G., Bogan, C., Bond, C., Bondu, F., Bonelli, L., Bonnand, R., Bork, R., Born, M., Boschi, V., Bose, S., Bosi, L., Bradaschia, C., Brady, P. R., Braginsky, V. B., Branchesi, M., Brau, J. E., Briant, T., Bridges, D. O., Brillet, A., Brinkmann, M., Brisson, V., Brooks, A. F., Brown, D. A., Brown, D. D., Brückner, F., Buchman, S., Bulik, T., Bulten, H. J., Buonanno, A., Burman, R., Buskulic, D., Buy, C., Cadonati, L., Cagnoli, G., Bustillo, J. C., Calloni, E., Camp, J. B., Campsie, P., Cannon, K. C., Canuel, B., Cao, J., Capano, C. D., Carbognani, F., Carbone, L., Caride, S., Castiglia, A., Caudill, S., Cavaglià, M., Cavalier, F., Cavalieri, R., Celerier, C., Cella, G., Cepeda, C., Cesarini, E., Chakraborty, R., Chalermsongsak, T., Chamberlin, S. J., Chao, S., Charlton, P., Chassande-Mottin, E., Chen, X., Chen, Y., Chincarini, A., Chiummo, A., Cho, H. S., Chow, J., Christensen, N., Chu, Q., Chua, S. S. Y., Chung, S., Ciani, G., Clara, F., Clark, J. A., Cleva, F., Coccia, E., Cohadon, P.-F., Colla, A., Collette, C., Colombini, M., Cominsky, L., Constancio, M., Conte, A., Cook, D., Corbitt, T. R., Cordier, M., Cornish, N., Corpuz, A., Corsi, A., Costa, C. A., Coughlin, M. W., Coughlin, S., Coulon, J.-P., Countryman, S., Couvares, P., Coward, D. M., Cowart, M., Coyne, D. C., Coyne, R., Craig, K., Creighton, J. D. E., Crowder, S. G., Cumming, A., Cunningham, L., Cuoco, E., Dahl, K., Dal Canton, T., Damjanic, M., Danilishin, S. L., D’Antonio, S., Danzmann, K., Dattilo, V., Daveloza, H., Davier, M., Davies, G.S., Daw, E. J., Day, R., Dayanga, T., Debreczeni, G., Degallaix, J., Deléglise, S., Del Pozzo, W., Denker, T., Dent, T., Dereli, H., Dergachev, V., De Rosa, R., DeRosa, R. T., DeSalvo, R., Dhurandhar, S., Díaz, M., Di Fiore, L., Di Lieto, A., Di Palma, I., Di Virgilio, A., Donath, A., Donovan, F., Dooley, K. L., Doravari, S., Dossa, S., Douglas, R., Downes, T. P., Drago, M., Drever, R. W. P., Driggers, J. C., Du, Z., Dwyer, S., Eberle, T., Edo, T., Edwards, M., Effler, A., Eggenstein, H., Ehrens, P., Eichholz, J., Eikenberry, S. S., Endrőczi, G., Essick, R., Etzel, T., Evans, M., Evans, T., Factourovich, M., Fafone, V., Fairhurst, S., Fang, Q., Farinon, S., Farr, B., Farr, W. M., Favata, M., Fehrmann, H., Fejer, M. M., Feldbaum, D., Feroz, F., Ferrante, I., Ferrini, F., Fidecaro, F., Finn, L. S., Fiori, I., Fisher, R. P., Flaminio, R., Fournier, J.-D., Franco, S., Frasca, S., Frasconi, F., Frede, M., Frei, Z., Freise, A., Frey, R., Fricke, T. T., Fritschel, P., Frolov, V. V., Fulda, P., Fyffe, M., Gair, J., Gammaitoni, L., Gaonkar, S., Garufi, F., Gehrels, N., Gemme, G., Genin, E., Gennai, A., Ghosh, S., Giaime, J. A., Giardina, K. D., Giazotto, A., Gill, C., Gleason, J., Goetz, E., Goetz, R., Gondan, L., González, G., Gordon, N., Gorodetsky, M. L., Gossan, S., Goßler, S., Gouaty, R., Gräf, C., Graff, P. B., Granata, M., Grant, A., Gras, S., Gray, C., Greenhalgh, R. J. S., Gretarsson, A. M., Groot, P., Grote, H., Grover, K., Grunewald, S., Guidi, G. M., Guido, C., Gushwa, K., Gustafson, E. K., Gustafson, R., Hammer, D., Hammond, G., Hanke, M., Hanks, J., Hanna, C., Hanson, J., Harms, J., Harry, G. M., Harry, I. W., Harstad, E. D., Hart, M., Hartman, M. T., Haster, C.-J., Haughian, K., Heidmann, A., Heintze, M., Heitmann, H., Hello, P., Hemming, G., Hendry, M.A., Heng, I.S., Heptonstall, A. W., Heurs, M., Hewitson, M., Hild, S., Hoak, D., Hodge, K. A., Holt, K., Hooper, S., Hopkins, P., Hosken, D. J., Hough, J., Howell, E. J., Hu, Y., Huerta, E., Hughey, B., Husa, S., Huttner, S. H., Huynh, M., Huynh-Dinh, T., Ingram, D. R., Inta, R., Isogai, T., Ivanov, A., Iyer, B. R., Izumi, K., Jacobson, M., James, E., Jang, H., Jaranowski, P., Ji, Y., Jiménez-Forteza, F., Johnson, W. W., Jones, D. I., Jones, R., Jonker, R. J. G., Ju, L., K., H., Kalmus, P., Kalogera, V., Kandhasamy, S., Kang, G., Kanner, J. B., Karlen, J., Kasprzack, M., Katsavounidis, E., Katzman, W., Kaufer, H., Kawabe, K., Kawazoe, F., Kéfélian, F., Keiser, G. M., Keitel, D., Kelley, D. B., Kells, W., Khalaidovski, A., Khalili, F. Y., Khazanov, E. A., Kim, C., Kim, K., Kim, N., Kim, N. G., Kim, Y.-M., King, E. J., King, P. J., Kinzel, D. L., Kissel, J. S., Klimenko, S., Kline, J., Koehlenbeck, S., Kokeyama, K., Kondrashov, V., Koranda, S., Korth, W. Z., Kowalska, I., Kozak, D. B., Kremin, A., Kringel, V., Królak, A., Kuehn, G., Kumar, A., Kumar, P., Kumar, R., Kuo, L., Kutynia, A., Kwee, P., Landry, M., Lantz, B., Larson, S., Lasky, P. D., Lawrie, C., Lazzarini, A., Lazzaro, C., Leaci, P., Leavey, S., Lebigot, E. O., Lee, C.-H., , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and ,
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Research Centre:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Gravitational Research
Journal Name:Physical Review Letters
Publisher:American Physical Society
ISSN:0031-9007
ISSN (Online):1079-7114

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