Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

Abbott, B., Abbott, R., Adhikari, R., Jones, D.I. and LIGO Scientific Collaboration, None , LIGO Scientific Collaboration (2007) Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. Astrophysical Journal, 659 (1), 918-930. (doi:10.1086/511329).

Abstract

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has performed the fourth science run, S4, with significantly improved interferometer sensitivities with respect to previous runs. Using data acquired during this science run, we place a limit on the amplitude of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. For a frequency independent spectrum, the new Bayesian 90% upper limit is ? GW×H0/72kms-1Mpc-12<6.5×10-5. This is currently the most sensitive result in the frequency range 51150 Hz, with a factor of 13 improvement over the previous LIGO result. We discuss the complementarity of the new result with other constraints on a stochastic background of gravitational waves, and we investigate implications of the new result for different models of this background.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Download statistics