Stochastic gravitational wave background: methods and Implications

TL;DR

This review discusses detection methods, data analysis techniques, validation procedures, and the astrophysical implications of the stochastic gravitational wave background, emphasizing current Earth-based detector capabilities and constraints.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current detection strategies, data analysis methods, and validation techniques for the stochastic gravitational wave background, highlighting recent advances and challenges.

Findings

Overview of detection methods for stochastic background

Discussion of data analysis and validation techniques

Summary of astrophysical and cosmological implications

Abstract

Beyond individually resolvable gravitational wave events such as binary black hole and binary neutron star mergers, the superposition of many more weak signals coming from a multitude of sources is expected to contribute to an overall background, the so-called stochastic gravitational wave background. In this review, we give an overview of possible detection methods in the search for this background and provide a detailed review of the data-analysis techniques, focusing primarily on current Earth-based interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. In addition, various validation techniques aimed at reinforcing the claim of a detection of such a background are discussed as well. We conclude this review by listing some of the astrophysical and cosmological implications resulting from current upper limits on the stochastic background of gravitational waves.