Search for gravitational-wave bursts in LIGO data at the Schenberg antenna sensitivity range

TL;DR

This study evaluates the potential of the disassembled Schenberg gravitational-wave detector by analyzing LIGO O3 data, setting upper limits on GW burst detection, and exploring astrophysical sources like neutron star f-modes and magnetar flares.

Contribution

It provides the first assessment of Schenberg's sensitivity using LIGO data, establishing detection limits and exploring its capability to detect various GW sources.

Findings

No significant GW burst detection in O3 data.

Set upper limits on GW event rates at specific strain amplitudes.

Revised estimates of neutron star f-mode energies and their detectability.

Abstract

The Brazilian Mario Schenberg gravitational-wave detector remained operational until 2016 when it was disassembled. To assess the feasibility of reassembling the antenna, its capability to detect GW within its designed sensitivity parameters needs to be evaluated. Although the antenna is currently disassembled, insights can be gleaned from the O3 data of the LIGO detectors, given the similarities between Schenberg's ultimate sensitivity and the interferometers' sensitivity in the [3150-3260] Hz band. The search focused on signals lasting from ms to seconds, with no assumptions about their morphology, polarization, and arrival sky direction. Data analysis was performed using the coherent WaveBurst pipeline in the frequency range between 512 Hz and 4096 Hz, specifically targeting signals with bandwidths overlapping the Schenberg frequency band. However, the O3 data did not yield statistically significant evidence of GW bursts. This null result allowed for the characterization of the search efficiency in identifying simulated signal morphologies and setting upper limits on the GW burst event rate as a function of strain amplitude. The current search is sensitive to sources emitting isotropically $5\times10^{-6} M_{\odot}c^2$ in GWs from a distance of 10 kiloparsecs with a 50\% detection efficiency at a false alarm rate of 1 per 100 years. Moreover, we revisited estimations of detecting f-modes of neutron stars excited by glitches, setting the upper limit of the f-mode energy for the population of Galactic pulsars to $\sim 8 \times 10^{-8} M_{\odot}c^2$ at 3205 Hz. Our simulations suggest f-modes are an unlikely source of gravitational waves for the aSchenberg. Nevertheless, its potential in probing other types of GW short transients, such from giant flares from magnetars, post-merger phase of binary NSs, or the inspiral of binaries of primordial BHs with sub-solar masses, remains promising.