Sensitivity Achieved by the LIGO and Virgo Gravitational Wave Detectors during LIGO's Sixth and Virgo's Second and Third Science Runs

TL;DR

This paper summarizes the sensitivity and performance of the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors during specific science runs, providing strain noise data to inform low-mass compact binary coalescence searches.

Contribution

It provides a detailed summary of the detectors' sensitivity and strain noise PSDs during LIGO's sixth and Virgo's second and third science runs, with publicly accessible data.

Findings

Strain noise PSDs characterized for each detector during the science runs.

Performance metrics serve as benchmarks for low-mass CBC searches.

Public data release supports transparency and further research.

Abstract

We summarize the sensitivity achieved by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors for low-mass compact binary coalescence (CBC) searches during LIGO's sixth science run and Virgo's second and third science runs. We present strain noise power spectral densities (PSDs) which are representative of the typical performance achieved by the detectors in these science runs. The data presented here and in the accompanying web-accessible data files are intended to be released to the public as a summary of detector performance for low-mass CBC searches during S6 and VSR2-3.