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-v17

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 (625.2 kB)

Other Files:

• lowmass_s6_search_paper_flyer.pdf (296.1 kB)
• lowmass_s6_search_paper_flyer.pptx (340.0 kB)
• Figure 1: H1 strain (H1-representative-spectrum-957474700.txt, 1.6 MB)
• Figure 1: L1 strain (L1-representative-spectrum-951280082.txt, 1.6 MB)
• Figure 1: V1 strain (V1-representative-spectrum-935662133.txt, 1.6 MB)
• Figure 2: Inspiral horizon distances for detectors in S5/S6 VSR1/2/3 (plotdistvsmass_data.txt, 4.9 kB)
• Figure 3: 100-slide background excluding event (PlotRatesData-HundredSlideBkg-NoEvent.txt, 809.2 kB)
• Figure 3: 100-slide background including event (PlotRatesData-HundredSlideBkg.txt, 783.2 kB)
• Figure 3: Extended background excluding event (PlotRatesData-ExtendedBkg-NoEvent.txt, 2.4 kB)
• Figure 3: Extended background including event (PlotRatesData-ExtendedBkg.txt, 8.3 kB)
• Figure 3: Foreground (PlotRatesData-Foreground.txt, 6.0 kB)
• Figure 4: Upper limits versus companion mass (upperlimits_vs_mcomp.txt, 740 bytes)
• Figure 4: Upper limits versus total mass (upperlimits_vs_mtotal.txt, 803 bytes)
• Figure 5: Upper limits compared with astrophysical expectations (ratecompare.txt, 821 bytes)
• Table 1: BNS, NS-BH and BBH upper limits (table1.txt, 498 bytes)

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