Search for Gravitational Waves from Low Mass Compact Binary Coalescence in 186 Days of LIGO's fifth Science Run

TL;DR

This paper details a search for gravitational waves from low mass compact binary coalescences using LIGO data from 2006-2007, setting upper limits on event rates due to no detections.

Contribution

First search for gravitational waves from low mass compact binaries in LIGO's fifth science run, establishing upper limits on coalescence rates.

Findings

No gravitational-wave signals detected.

Upper limits on coalescence rates established.

Constraints on neutron star and black hole merger rates.

Abstract

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries, of total mass between 2 and 35 Msun, using LIGO observations between November 14, 2006 and May 18, 2007. No gravitational-wave signals were detected. We report upper limits on the rate of compact binary coalescence as a function of total mass. The LIGO cumulative 90%-confidence rate upper limits of the binary coalescence of neutron stars, black holes and black hole-neutron star systems are 1.4x10^-2, 7.3x10^-4 and 3.6x10^-3 yr^-1L_10^-1 respectively, where L_10 is 10^10 times the blue solar luminosity.