Observing Gravitational Waves from Spinning Neutron Stars LIGO-G060662-00-Z Reinhard Prix (Albert-Einstein-Institut)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Observing Gravitational Waves from Spinning Neutron Stars LIGO-G060662-00-Z Reinhard Prix (Albert-Einstein-Institut) Astrophysical Motivation Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observing Gravitational Waves from Spinning Neutron Stars LIGO-G060662-00-Z Reinhard Prix (Albert-Einstein-Institut) for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Toulouse, 6 July 2006 R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Astrophysical Motivation Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Outline 1 Astrophysical Motivation Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Emission Mechanisms (Mountains, Precession, Oscillations, Accretion) Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS 2 Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Data-analysis of continous waves Observational Results R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Orders of Magnitude Quadrupole formula (Einstein 1916). GW luminosity (: deviation from axisymmetry): 2 G MV 3 O(10−53) L ∼ 2 GW c5 R c5 R 2 V 6 O(1059) erg = 2 s s G R c 2 Schwarzschild radius Rs = 2GM/c Need compact objects in relativistic motion: Black Holes, Neutron Stars, White Dwarfs R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS What is a neutron star? −1 Mass: M ∼ 1.4 M Rotation: ν . 700 s Radius: R ∼ 10 km Magnetic field: B ∼ 1012 − 1014 G =⇒ density: ρ¯ & ρnucl =⇒ Rs = 2GM ∼ . relativistic: R c2R 0 4 R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Gravitational Wave Strain h(t) + Plane gravitational wave hµν along z-direction: Lx −Ly Strain h(t) ≡ 2L : y Ly Lx x h(t) t R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Triaxial Spinning Neutron Stars Rotating neutron star: - non-axisymmetric = Ixx −Iyy Izz - rotation rate ν GW with frequency f = 2 ν Strain-amplitude h0 on earth: 16π2 G I ν2 h = zz 0 c4 d I ν 2 100 pc = 4 × 10−25 zz 10−6 1045 g cm2 100 Hz d √ −23 −1/2 Current LIGO sensitivity (S5): Sn ∼ 4 × 10 Hz NS signals buried in the noise =⇒ need “matched filtering” R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Possible Emission Mechanisms “Mountains” Oscillations Free precession Accretion (driver) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Neutron Star “Mountains” Conventional NS crustal shear mountains: −7 −6 crust . 10 − 10 (Ushomirsky, Cutler, Bildsten) Superfluid vortices: Magnus-strain deforming crust −7 Magnus ∼ 5 × 10 (D.I. Jones; Ruderman) Exotic EOS: strange-quark solid cores −5 −4 strange . 10 − 10 (B. Owen) Magnetic mountains: 15 large toroidal field Bt ∼ 10 G ⊥ to rotation: −6 toroidal ∼ 10 (C. Cutler) accretion along B-lines =⇒“bottled” mountains −6 −5 bottle . 10 − 10 (Melatos, Payne) non-aligned poloidal magnetic field B ∼ 1013 G, type-I or type-II superconducting interior, −6 B . 10 (Bonazzola&Gourgoulhon) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Oscillation Modes Chandrasekhar-Friedman-Schutz instability: counter-rotating mode “dragged forward” =⇒negative energy and angular momentum emission of GW amplifies the mode counteracted by dissipation r-mode instability window: Open questions: Dissipation mechanisms: vortex friction, hyperons, crust-core coupling,... saturation amplitude, mode-mode coupling, evolution timescales R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Free Precession “Most general motion of a rigid body” (Landau&Lifshitz 1976) NS are not rigid: coupled crust - core (viscosity + superfluid vortex pinning) likely to be damped rapidly no obvious instability or “pumping mechanism” θ 100 pc ν 2 h ∼ 10−26 w 0 0.1 d 500 Hz R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Accretion Breakup-limit νK ∼ 1.5 kHz What limits the NS-spin? Bildsten, Wagoner: Accretion-torque = GW torque (∝ ν5) −26 1/2 Observed X-ray flux Sco X-1: h0 ∼ 3 × 10 (270 Hz/ν) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Astrophysics Summary NS are plausible sources for LIGO I, II or VIRGO Whether or not they are detectable depends on many poorly-understood aspects of NS physics Any GW-detection from rotating NS will be extremely valuable for NS physics Even the absence of detection can yield astrophysically interesting information (crust deformation, B, instabilities) NS physics producing GWs is very different and complementary to electromagnetic emission (bulk-mass motion vs magnetosphere-electron motion) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars? Astrophysical Motivation Emission Mechanisms Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy of NS Gravitational Wave Astronomy “Astero-Seismology” (Andersson, Kokkotas 1998): f-mode Measurement of (ωf , τf ) =⇒ deduce (M, R) =⇒ EOS R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results LSC detectors: LIGO + GEO600 R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Current LIGO noise performance ∆L −23 −19 −4 h0 = L ∼ 3 × 10 =⇒ ∆L ∼ 10 m = 10 fm!! R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results LSC Data Analysis LIGO (H1, H2, L1) and GEO600 data analyzed within the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC): ∼ 40 institutions, ∼ 320 authors (S3) 4 major search groups (different targets and methods): Binary inspirals: short inspiral signals (modeled) Bursts: short unmodeled signals (supernovae, merger) Stochastic background: cosmological background GWs “Continuous waves”: spinning NS signals (long-lived) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Nature of GW from Rotating Neutron Stars J NS frame: monochromatic wave, slowly varying frequency 1 ˙ 2 Phase Φ(τ) = φ0 + 2π f τ + 2 f τ + ... GW frequency for triaxial NS: f = 2 ν , r-modes: f = 4/3 ν, precession: f ≈ ν 2 polarization amplitudes: A+, A× =⇒ Wave-components in NS frame: h×(τ) = A+ cos Φ(τ) h+(τ) = A× sin Φ(τ) J Detector frame t: sky-position (α, δ) dependent modulations: Phase: Doppler-effect due to earth’s motion τ = τ(t; α, δ) Amplitude: rotating Antenna-pattern F+,×(t, ψ; α, δ) R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Signal Received at the Detector GW strain at the detector: h(t) = F+(t) h+(t) + F×(t) h×(t) Signal dependencies h ˙ i h(t) = F+(t, ψ; α, δ) A+ cos φ0 + φ(t; α, δ, f , f , ..) h ˙ i + F×(t, ψ; α, δ) A× sin φ0 + φ(t; α, δ, f , f , ..) Signal parameters: µ µ 4 “Amplitude parameters”: A = A (A+, A×, ψ, φ0) “Doppler parameters”: λ = {α, δ, f , f˙, ... (+ orbital parameters) } R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Optimal detection statistic: “Matched filtering” data noise signal z}|{ z}|{ z }| { Measured strain: x(t) = n(t) + s(t; A, λ) Z x(f ) y ∗(f ) scalar product: (x|y) ≡ e e df Sn(f ) − 1 (n|n) pdf for Gaussian noise n(t): P(n(t)|Sn) = k e 2 =⇒ likelihood of x(t) in presence of signal s(t; A, λ): − 1 (x|x) (x|s)− 1 (s|s) P(x(t)|A, λ; Sn) = k e 2 e 2 Bayesian posterior probability for signal {A, λ} in data x(t): 0 (x|s)− 1 (s|s) P(A, λ|x(t); Sn) = k P(A, λ) e 2 | {z } ”prior”probability R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Matched filtering II: the F-statistic 1 detection statistic: Q(A, λ) ≡ (x|s) − 2 (s|s) find maximum of Q in parameter space {A, λ}. 4 X µ s(t; A, λ) = A hµ(t; λ) (Jaranowski, Krolak, Schutz, PRD 1998) µ=1 µ ∂Q µ =⇒ analytically maximize Q over A : ∂Aµ = 0 =⇒ A MLE Definition of the “F-statistic”: F = Q(AMLE , λ) µν 2F(λ) = xµ M xν µν −1 where xµ(λ) ≡ (x|hµ(λ)), and M (λ) = (hµ(λ)|hν(λ)) find maximum of F in reduced parameter-space {λ}. R. Prix Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars Status of LIGO (+GEO600) Astrophysical Motivation Data-analysis of continous waves Detecting Gravitational Waves from NS Observational Results Matched filtering III: multi-detector generalization multi-detector vector {x(t)}X = xX(t) with X ∈ {H1, L1, V1...} Z X −1 Y∗ (x|y) = xe (f ) SXY ye (f ) df µν −1 xµ(λ) = (x|hµ), M (λ) = (hµ|hν ) µν =⇒ 2F(λ) = xµ M xν (Cutler&Schutz, PRD 2005) Signal-to-noise ratio @ perfect match √ p h0 SNR = (s|s) ∝ √ T N T ..
Recommended publications
  • Towards Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Commissioning and Characterization of GEO 600
    Journal of Physics: Conference Series Related content - Quantum measurements in gravitational- Towards gravitational wave astronomy: wave detectors F Ya Khalili Commissioning and characterization of GEO600 - Systematic survey for monitor signals to reduce fake burst events in a gravitational- wave detector To cite this article: S Hild et al 2006 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 32 66 Koji Ishidoshiro, Masaki Ando and Kimio Tsubono - Environmental Effects for Gravitational- wave Astrophysics Enrico Barausse, Vitor Cardoso and Paolo View the article online for updates and enhancements. Pani Recent citations - First joint search for gravitational-wave bursts in LIGO and GEO 600 data B Abbott et al - The status of GEO 600 H Grote (for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration) - Upper limits on gravitational wave emission from 78 radio pulsars W. G. Anderson et al This content was downloaded from IP address 194.95.159.70 on 30/01/2019 at 13:59 Institute of Physics Publishing Journal of Physics: Conference Series 32 (2006) 66–73 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/32/1/011 Sixth Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves Towards gravitational wave astronomy: Commissioning and characterization of GEO 600 S. Hild1,H.Grote1,J.R.Smith1 and M. Hewitson1 for the GEO 600-team2 . 1 Max-Planck-Institut f¨ur Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) und Universit¨at Hannover, Callinstr. 38, D–30167 Hannover, Germany. 2 See GEO 600 status report paper for the author list of the GEO collaboration. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. During the S4 LSC science run, the gravitational-wave detector GEO 600, the first large scale dual recycled interferometer, took 30 days of continuous√ data.
    [Show full text]
  • Holographic Noise in Interferometers a New Experimental Probe of Planck Scale Unification
    Holographic Noise in Interferometers A new experimental probe of Planck scale unification FCPA planning retreat, April 2010 1 Planck scale seconds The physics of this “minimum time” is unknown 1.616 ×10−35 m Black hole radius particle energy ~1016 TeV € Quantum particle energy size Particle confined to Planck volume makes its own black hole FCPA planning retreat, April 2010 2 Interferometers might probe Planck scale physics One interpretation of the Planck frequency/bandwidth limit predicts a new kind of uncertainty leading to a new detectable effect: "holographic noise” Different from gravitational waves or quantum field fluctuations Predicts Planck-amplitude noise spectrum with no parameters We are developing an experiment to test this hypothesis FCPA planning retreat, April 2010 3 Quantum limits on measuring event positions Spacelike-separated event intervals can be defined with clocks and light But transverse position measured with frequency-bounded waves is uncertain by the diffraction limit, Lλ0 This is much larger than the wavelength € Lλ0 L λ0 Add second€ dimension: small phase difference of events over Wigner (1957): quantum limits large transverse patch with one spacelike dimension FCPA planning€ retreat, April 2010 4 € Nonlocal comparison of event positions: phases of frequency-bounded wavepackets λ0 Wavepacket of phase: relative positions of null-field reflections off massive bodies € Δf = c /2πΔx Separation L € ΔxL = L(Δf / f0 ) = cL /2πf0 Uncertainty depends only on L, f0 € FCPA planning retreat, April 2010 5 € Physics Outcomes
    [Show full text]
  • Multi-Messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger
    DRAFT VERSION OCTOBER 6, 2017 Typeset using LATEX twocolumn style in AASTeX61 MULTI-MESSENGER OBSERVATIONS OF A BINARY NEUTRON STAR MERGER LIGO SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION,VIRGO COLLABORATION AND PARTNER ASTRONOMY GROUPS (Dated: October 6, 2017) ABSTRACT On August 17, 2017 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB170817A) with a time-delay of 1.7swith respect to the merger ⇠ time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance +8 of 40 8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range− 0.86 to 2.26 M . An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at 40 Mpc) less ⇠ than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1-m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over 10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the ⇠ transient’s position 9 and 16 days, respectively, after the merger.
    [Show full text]
  • First Low-Frequency Einstein@Home All-Sky Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves in Advanced LIGO Data
    First low-frequency Einstein@Home all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in Advanced LIGO data The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and The Virgo Collaboration et al. We report results of a deep all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in data from the first Advanced LIGO observing run. This search investigates the low frequency range of Advanced LIGO data, between 20 and 100 Hz, much of which was not explored in initial LIGO. The search was made possible by the computing power provided by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home project. We find no significant signal candidate and set the most stringent upper limits to date on the amplitude of gravitationalp wave signals from the target population, corresponding to a sensitivity depth of 48:7 [1/ Hz]. At the frequency of best strain sensitivity, near 100 Hz, we set 90% confidence upper limits of 1:8×10−25. At the low end of our frequency range, 20 Hz, we achieve upper limits of 3:9×10−24. At 55 Hz we can exclude sources with ellipticities greater than 10−5 within 100 pc of Earth with fiducial value of the principal moment of inertia of 1038kg m2. I. INTRODUCTION ≈ 20 at 50 Hz. For this reason all-sky searches did not include frequencies below 50 Hz on initial LIGO data. In this paper we report the results of a deep all-sky Ein- Since interferometers sporadically fall out of operation stein@Home [1] search for continuous, nearly monochro- (\lose lock") due to environmental or instrumental dis- matic gravitational waves (GWs) in data from the first turbances or for scheduled maintenance periods, the data Advanced LIGO observing run (O1).
    [Show full text]
  • Model Comparison from LIGO–Virgo Data on GW170817's Binary Components and Consequences for the Merger Remnant
    University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Physics Faculty Publications Physics 1-16-2020 Model comparison from LIGO–Virgo data on GW170817's binary components and consequences for the merger remnant Robert Coyne Et Al Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/phys_facpubs Classical and Quantum Gravity PAPER • OPEN ACCESS Recent citations Model comparison from LIGO–Virgo data on - Numerical-relativity simulations of long- lived remnants of binary neutron star GW170817’s binary components and mergers consequences for the merger remnant Roberto De Pietri et al - Stringent constraints on neutron-star radii from multimessenger observations and To cite this article: B P Abbott et al 2020 Class. Quantum Grav. 37 045006 nuclear theory Collin D. Capano et al - Nonparametric inference of neutron star composition, equation of state, and maximum mass with GW170817 View the article online for updates and enhancements. Reed Essick et al This content was downloaded from IP address 132.174.254.155 on 02/04/2020 at 18:13 IOP Classical and Quantum Gravity Class. Quantum Grav. Classical and Quantum Gravity Class. Quantum Grav. 37 (2020) 045006 (43pp) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/ab5f7c 37 2020 © 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd Model comparison from LIGO–Virgo data on GW170817’s binary components and CQGRDG consequences for the merger remnant 045006 B P Abbott1, R Abbott1, T D Abbott2, S Abraham3, 4,5 6 7 8 9,10 B P Abbott et al F Acernese , K Ackley , C Adams , V B Adya , C Affeldt , M Agathos11,12, K Agatsuma13, N Aggarwal14,
    [Show full text]
  • LIGO SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION LIGO Scientific Collaboration
    LIGO SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION Document Type LIGO-M-1900084 LIGO Scientific Collaboration Program 2019-2020 The LSC Program Committee: Gabriela Gonzalez,´ Stephen Fairhurst, P. Ajith, Patrick Brady, Alessandra Buonanno, Alessandra Corsi, Peter Fritschel, Bala Iyer, Joey Key, Sergey Klimenko, Brian Lantz, Albert Lazzarini, David McClelland, David Reitze, Keith Riles, Sheila Rowan, Alicia Sintes, Josh Smith WWW: http://www.ligo.org/ Processed with LATEX on 2019/05/30 LIGO Scientific Collaboration Program 2019-2020 Contents 1 Overview 3 1.1 The LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s Scientific Mission . .3 1.2 LSC Science Goals: Gravitational Wave Targets . .4 1.3 LSC Science Goals: Gravitational Wave Astronomy . .5 2 LIGO Scientific Operations and Scientific Results 7 2.1 LIGO Observatory Operations . .7 2.2 LSC Detector Commissioning and Detector Improvement activities . .8 2.3 Detector Calibration and Data Timing . .8 2.4 Operating computing systems and services for modeling, analysis, and interpretation . .9 2.5 Detector Characterization . 10 2.6 The operations of data analysis search, simulation and interpretation pipelines . 10 2.7 LSC Fellows Program . 11 2.8 Development of data analysis tools to search and interpret the gravitational wave data . 12 2.9 Dissemination of LIGO data and scientific results . 13 2.10 Outreach to the public and the scientific community . 14 2.11 A+ Upgrade Project . 15 2.12 LIGO-India . 15 2.13 Roles in LSC organization . 15 3 Advancing frontiers of Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics, Astronomy and Fundamental Physics: Improved Gravitational Wave Detectors 17 3.1 Substrates . 17 3.2 Suspensions and seismic isolation . 18 3.3 Optical Coatings . 18 3.4 Cryogenics .
    [Show full text]
  • Towards Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers and Core- Collapse Supernovae with Genasis
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2010 Towards Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers and Core- Collapse Supernovae with GenASiS Reuben Donald Budiardja University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Fluid Dynamics Commons, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing Commons, and the Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy Commons Recommended Citation Budiardja, Reuben Donald, "Towards Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers and Core-Collapse Supernovae with GenASiS. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2010. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/781 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Reuben Donald Budiardja entitled "Towards Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers and Core-Collapse Supernovae with GenASiS." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Physics. Michael W. Guidry, Major Professor We have
    [Show full text]
  • National Science Foundation LIGO FACTSHEET NSF and the Laser
    National Science Foundation LIGO FACTSHEET NSF and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory In 1916, Albert waves. Caltech and MIT led the design, construction and Einstein published the operation of the NSF-funded facilities. paper that predicted gravitational waves – What are gravitational waves? ripples in the fabric of Gravitational waves are emitted when any object that space-time resulting possesses mass accelerates. This can be compared from the most violent in some ways to how accelerating charges create phenomena in our electromagnetic fields (e.g. light and radio waves) that distant universe, antennae detect. To generate gravitational waves that such as supernovae can be detected by LIGO, the objects must be highly explosions or colliding compact and very massive, such as neutron stars and black holes. For 100 black holes. Gravitational-wave detectors act as a years, this prediction “receiver.” Gravitational waves travel to Earth much like has stimulated ripples travel outward across a pond. However, these scientists around the ripples in the space-time fabric carry information about world, who have been their violent origins and about the nature of gravity seeking to directly – information that cannot be obtained from other detect gravitational astronomical signals. waves. How does LIGO work? Approximately 40 years ago, the National Einstein himself questioned whether we could create Science Foundation (NSF) joined this quest and an instrument sensitive enough to capture this began funding the science and technological phenomenon. Inside the vertex of the L-shaped LIGO innovation that would ultimately lead to vacuum systems, a beam splitter divides a single direct detection of gravitational waves.
    [Show full text]
  • The Upgrade of GEO600
    The upgrade of GEO 600 H. L¨uck1, C. Affeldt1, J. Degallaix1, A. Freise2, H. Grote1, M. Hewitson1, S. Hild3, J. Leong1, M. Prijatelj1, K.A. Strain1;3, B. Willke1, H. Wittel1 and K. Danzmann1 1 Max-Planck-Institut f¨urGravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) and Leibniz Universit¨atHannover, Callinstr. 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany 2 School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom 3 Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom, United Kingdom Institut f¨urGravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universit¨atHannover, Callinstr. 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. The German / British gravitational wave detector GEO 600 is in the process of being upgraded. The upgrading process of GEO 600, called GEO-HF, will concentrate on the improvement of the sensitivity for high frequency signals and the demonstration of advanced technologies. In the years 2009 to 2011 the detector will undergo a series of upgrade steps, which are described in this paper. 1. Introduction GEO 600, the British / German gravitational wave (GW) detector[1], is one of the worldwide network of GW detectors. The main initial goal of GW detectors is the first detection of GW signals. In order to improve the chances for detecting a signal, the world-wide collaboration of GW scientists typically operates more than one detector in coincidence. GEO 600 finished its latest data run in July 2009 after taking data for about 3.5 years, partly together with LIGO[2] and Virgo[3]. To further improve the chances of detecting a signal the detectors have been - and will further be - upgraded to increase their sensitivity.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 2 Danzmann-Gravitational Waves
    Measuring the Universe with Einstein‘s Gravitaonal Waves Prof. Dr. Karsten Danzmann Albert Einstein Ins-tute (AEI) Max Planck Society and Leibniz Universität Hannover What are Gravitaonal Waves? – Distor3on of space and me, propagang at the speed of light 2 The Length Change is Small! • Supernova in nearby galaxy ⇒ Squeezing space by 10-21 ⇒ 1 km baseline changes by 1/1000 of a Proton diameter (10-18 m = 1 AXometer)! ⇒ For a few milliseconds! 3 Original Interferometer of Michelson and Morley 1887 • Sensivity 1887: Δℓ= 600 pm =0, 000 000 000 6 m • Laser interferometer today: 0, 000 000 000 000 000 000 1 m/√Hz 4 Gravitaonal Wave Sources • Ground-based detectors observe in the audio band – The analogue of op3cal astronomy Audio Band 1 Hz – 10 kHz World-Wide Laser Interferometric Gravitaonal Wave Detector Network LIGO GEO600 (future) LCGT LIGO Virgo 80m / 5 km 3 km Source: A. Lazzarini, modified LIGO: Two Sites, Three Ifos One interferometer with 4 km Arms, one with 2 km Arms One interferometer with 4 km Arms VIRGO: The French-Italian Project 3 km armlength near Pisa GEO600 - German-Bri3sh collaboraon, locaon Hannover / Germany - Michelson Interferometer with power and signal recycling U Birmingham U Mallorca Glasgow 9 LIGO Hanford (USA) Largest Dedicated Computer Cluster in the World for GW Data Analysis at AEI GEO600 operated by AEI LIGO Livingston (USA) VIRGO (Pisa) Crab Pulsar (1054 AD) The Astrophysical Journal, 713, p671–685, 2010: “SEARCHES FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM KNOWN PULSARS WITH SCIENCE RUN 5 LIGO DATA” Mountains on Crab Pulsar
    [Show full text]
  • LIGO Magazine, Issue 7, 9/2015
    LIGO Scientific Collaboration Scientific LIGO issue 7 9/2015 LIGO MAGAZINE Looking for the Afterglow The Dedication of the Advanced LIGO Detectors LIGO Hanford, May 19, 2015 p. 13 The Einstein@Home Project Searching for continuous gravitational wave signals p. 18 ... and an interview with Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr. ! The cover image shows an artist’s illustration of Supernova 1987A (Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/Alexandra Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)) placed above a photograph of the James Clark Maxwell Telescope (JMCT) (Credit: Matthew Smith) at night. The supernova image is based on real data and reveals the cold, inner regions of the exploded star’s remnants (in red) where tremendous amounts of dust were detected and imaged by ALMA. This inner region is contrasted with the outer shell (lacy white and blue circles), where the blast wave from the supernova is colliding with the envelope of gas ejected from the star prior to its powerful detonation. Image credits Photos and graphics appear courtesy of Caltech/MIT LIGO Laboratory and LIGO Scientific Collaboration unless otherwise noted. p. 2 Comic strip by Nutsinee Kijbunchoo p. 5 Figure by Sean Leavey pp. 8–9 Photos courtesy of Matthew Smith p. 11 Figure from L. P. Singer et al. 2014 ApJ 795 105 p. 12 Figure from B. D. Metzger and E. Berger 2012 ApJ 746 48 p. 13 Photo credit: kimfetrow Photography, Richland, WA p. 14 Authors’ image credit: Joeri Borst / Radboud University pp. 14–15 Image courtesy of Paul Groot / BlackGEM p. 16 Top: Figure by Stephan Rosswog. Bottom: Diagram by Shaon Ghosh p.
    [Show full text]
  • Craig Hogan, Fermilab PAC, November 2009 1 Interferometers Might Probe Planck Scale Physics
    The Fermilab Holometer a program to measure Planck scale indeterminacy A. Chou, R. Gustafson, G. Gutierrez, C. Hogan, S. Meyer, E. Ramberg, J.Steffen, C.Stoughton, R. Tomlin, S.Waldman, R.Weiss, W. Wester, S. Whitcomb Craig Hogan, Fermilab PAC, November 2009 1 Interferometers might probe Planck scale physics One interpretation of ‘t Hooft-Susskind holographic principle predicts a new kind of uncertainty leading to a new detectable effect: "holographic noise” Different from gravitational waves or quantum field fluctuations Predicts Planck-amplitude noise spectrum with no parameters We propose an experiment to test this hypothesis Craig Hogan, Fermilab PAC, November 2009 2 Planck scale seconds The physics of this “minimum time” is unknown 1.5 ×10−35 m Black hole radius particle energy ~1016 TeV € Quantum particle energy size Particle confined to Planck volume makes its own black hole 3 Quantum limits on measuring event positions Spacelike-separated event intervals can be defined with clocks and light But transverse position measured with waves is uncertain by the diffraction limit Lλ This is much larger than the wavelength € Lλ L λ Add second€ dimension: small phase difference of events over Wigner (1957): quantum limits large transverse patch with one spacelike dimension € 4 € A new uncertainty of spacetime? Suppose the Planck scale is a minimum wavelength Then transverse event positions may be fundamentally uncertain by the Planck diffraction limit Classical path ~ ray approximation of a Planck wave Craig Hogan, Fermilab PAC, November
    [Show full text]