LIGO Document P1500009-v3

WHOOMP! (There It Is) Rapid Bayesian position reconstruction for gravitational-wave transients

Document #:
LIGO-P1500009-v3
Document type:
P - Publications
Other Versions:
LIGO-P1500009-v8
14 Jan 2016, 19:42
LIGO-P1500009-v7
21 Dec 2015, 13:40
LIGO-P1500009-v6
07 Dec 2015, 14:54
LIGO-P1500009-v5
19 Nov 2015, 13:47
LIGO-P1500009-v4
27 Sep 2015, 12:33
Abstract:
Within the next few years, Advanced LIGO and Virgo should detect gravitational waves (GWs) from binary neutron star and neutron star–black hole mergers. These sources are also predicted to power a broad array of electromagnetic transients. Because the X-ray and optical signatures can be faint and fade rapidly, observing them hinges on rapidly inferring the sky location from the gravitational wave observations. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for gravitational-wave parameter estimation can take hours or more. We introduce BAYESTAR, a rapid, Bayesian, non-MCMC sky localization algorithm that takes just seconds to produce probability sky maps that are comparable in accuracy to the full analysis. Prompt localizations from BAYESTAR will make it possible to search electromagnetic counterparts of compact binary mergers.
Files in Document:
Other Files:
Notes and Changes:
Addresses LSC-PP comments. Includes new rate-of-convergence plot for distance integral.
Publication Information:
Possible target journals: PRX, PRD, ApJ, CQG.
Submitted to arXiv.

DCC Version 3.4.3, contact Document Database Administrators