The Sensitivity of the Advanced LIGO Detectors at the Beginning of Gravitational Wave Astronomy

Document #:

LIGO-P1500260-v15

Document type:

P - Publications

Abstract:

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two 4 km laser interferometers designed to detect gravitational waves from distant astrophysical sources in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 5 kHz. The first observation run of the Advanced LIGO detectors started in September 2015 and ended in January 2016. A strain sensitivity of better than 10−23/√Hz was achieved around 100 Hz. Understanding both the fundamental and the technical noise sources was critical in increasing the observable volume in the near Universe by a factor of 40 or more compared to the previous generation of instruments. For coalescing binary black hole systems with individual masses of 30 M⊙ the average distance at which they can be seen with a signal-to-noise ratio of 8 was 1.3 Gpc. Similarly, the reach for binary neutron star inspirals was 70−80 Mpc. These sensitivities were a factor of 4.1 and 3.5 better than the previous generation of LIGO detectors, respectively.

Files in Document:

• errata_authors_Martynov_PRD_AF.pdf (4.1 MB)

Topics:

• Commissioning

Author Groups:

• LSC

Keywords:

noise detector