A Model-Based Cross-Correlation Search for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1

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Abstract:: The low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) Scorpius X-1 (Sco X-1) is a promising source of gravitational waves in the advanced detector era. A variety of methods have been used or proposed to perform the directed search for gravitational waves from a binary source in a known sky location with unknown frequency and residual uncertainty in binary orbital parameters. These include a fully coherent search over a short observation time, a search for an unmodelled narrowband stochastic signal, and a search for a pattern of sidebands arising from the Doppler modulation of the signal by the binary orbit. A modification of the cross-correlation method used in the stochastic-background search has been proposed, which takes into account the signal model of a rotating neutron star to allow cross-correlation of data from different times. By varying the maximum allowed time lag between cross-correlated segments, one can tune this semicoherent search and strike a balance between sensitivity and computing cost. We describe the details of and prospects for application of this method to searches for Sco X-1 and other LMXBs. We also present some recent enhancements to the Cross-Correlation search method.

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LIGO Document G1300509-v2