Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 in LIGO O2 Data

TL;DR

This paper reports a highly sensitive search for continuous gravitational waves from Scorpius X-1 in LIGO O2 data, setting new constraints on neutron star properties and correcting previous theoretical equations.

Contribution

It introduces an improved search pipeline with unprecedented sensitivity and corrects a key equation in gravitational wave amplitude calculations, impacting previous results.

Findings

Excluded gravitational wave emission at certain frequencies and orientations.

Placed upper limits on neutron star magnetic field strength.

Provided new constraints on neutron star mass-radius relationships.

Abstract

We present the results of a search in LIGO O2 public data for continuous gravitational waves from the neutron star in the low-mass X-ray binary Scorpius X-1. We search for signals with $\approx$ constant frequency in the range 40-180 Hz. Thanks to the efficiency of our search pipeline we can use a long coherence time and achieve unprecedented sensitivity, significantly improving on existing results. This is the first search that has been able to probe gravitational wave amplitudes that could balance the accretion torque at the neutron star radius. Our search excludes emission at this level between 67.5 Hz and 131.5 Hz, for an inclination angle $44^\circ \pm 6^\circ$ derived from radio observations (Fomalont et al. 2001), and assuming that the spin axis is perpendicular to the orbital plane. If the torque arm is $\approx $ 26 km -- a conservative estimate of the \alfven\ radius -- our results are more constraining than the indirect limit across the band. This allows us to exclude certain mass-radius combinations and to place upper limits on the strength of the star's magnetic field. We also correct a mistake that appears in the literature in the equation that gives the gravitational wave amplitude at the torque balance (Abbott et al. 2017b, 2019a) and we re-interpret the associated latest LIGO/Virgo results in light of this.