First search for gravitational waves from the youngest known neutron star

Document #:
LIGO-P1000028-v7
Document type:
P - Publications
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Abstract:
We present a search for periodic gravitational waves from the neutron star in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. The search coherently analyzes data in a 12-day interval taken from the fifth science run of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. It searches gravitational wave frequencies from 100 to 300~Hz, and covers a wide range of first and second frequency derivatives appropriate for the age of the remnant and for different spin-down mechanisms. No gravitational wave signal was detected. Within the range of search frequencies, we set 95\% confidence upper limits of $$0.7$$--$$1.2 \times 10^{-24}$$ on the intrinsic gravitational wave strain, $$0.4$$--$$4 \times 10^{-4}$$ on the equatorial ellipticity of the neutron star, and $$0.005$$--$$0.14$$ on the amplitude of $$r$$-mode oscillations of the neutron star. These direct upper limits beat indirect limits derived from energy conservation and enter the range of theoretical predictions involving crystalline exotic matter or runaway $$r$$-modes. This paper is also the first gravitational-wave search to present upper limits on the $$r$$-mode amplitude.
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Notes and Changes:
Some small changes in response to the referee, and minor proof corrections. Accepted for publication in ApJ.
Journal References:
Published in ApJ vol. 722 pg. 1504.

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