Searching for gravitational waves from binary coalescence

TL;DR

This paper details a comprehensive all-sky search for gravitational waves from binary coalescences using LIGO and Virgo data, employing matched filtering and noise mitigation techniques to improve detection sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a new multi-detector search method with enhanced noise discrimination for gravitational wave detection from binary mergers.

Findings

Effective noise mitigation with signal consistency tests

Sensitivity comparable to Gaussian noise conditions

Successful application to recent LIGO and Virgo data

Abstract

We describe the implementation of a search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences in LIGO and Virgo data. This all-sky, all-time, multi-detector search for binary coalescence has been used to search data taken in recent LIGO and Virgo runs. The search is built around a matched filter analysis of the data, augmented by numerous signal consistency tests designed to distinguish artifacts of non-Gaussian detector noise from potential detections. We demonstrate the search performance using Gaussian noise and data from the fifth LIGO science run and demonstrate that the signal consistency tests are capable of mitigating the effect of non-Gaussian noise and providing a sensitivity comparable to that achieved in Gaussian noise.