Search for Gravitational Waves from Low Mass Compact Binary Coalescence in LIGO's Sixth Science Run and Virgo's Science Runs 2 and 3

Document #:

LIGO-P1100034-v18

Document type:

P - Publications

Abstract:

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009 and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and 25 solar masses; this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up to 40 Mpc distant for binary neutron stars, and further for higher mass systems. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass, including the results from previous LIGO and Virgo observations. The cumulative 90%-confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of binary neutron star, neutron star– black hole and binary black holes systems are 1.3 x 10^{-4}, 3.1 x 10^{-5} and 6.4 x 10^{-6} Mpc^{-3}yr^{-1}, respectively. We also report on results from a blind injection challenge.

Files in Document:

• s6-cbc-lowmass.pdf (file is not accessible)

Other Files:

• lowmass_s6_search_paper_flyer.pdf (file is not accessible)
• lowmass_s6_search_paper_flyer.pptx (file is not accessible)
• Figure 1: H1 strain (H1-representative-spectrum-957474700.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 1: L1 strain (L1-representative-spectrum-951280082.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 1: V1 strain (V1-representative-spectrum-935662133.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 2: Inspiral horizon distances for detectors in S5/S6 VSR1/2/3 (plotdistvsmass_data.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 3: 100-slide background excluding event (PlotRatesData-HundredSlideBkg-NoEvent.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 3: 100-slide background including event (PlotRatesData-HundredSlideBkg.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 3: Extended background excluding event (PlotRatesData-ExtendedBkg-NoEvent.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 3: Extended background including event (PlotRatesData-ExtendedBkg.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 3: Foreground (PlotRatesData-Foreground.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 4: Upper limits versus companion mass (upperlimits_vs_mcomp.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 4: Upper limits versus total mass (upperlimits_vs_mtotal.txt, file is not accessible)
• Figure 5: Upper limits compared with astrophysical expectations (ratecompare.txt, file is not accessible)
• Table 1: BNS, NS-BH and BBH upper limits (table1.txt, file is not accessible)

Topics:

• Compact Binaries

Author Groups:

• LVC

Keywords:

CBC S6 VSR2 VSR2 Lowmass Results

Publication Information:

Paper synopsis for students/teachers/public: http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S6CBCLowMass/index.php
Posting on arXiv:1111.7314: http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.7314