CLAWDIA: A dictionary learning framework for gravitational-wave data analysis

TL;DR

CLAWDIA is an open-source Python framework that leverages sparse dictionary learning for denoising and classifying gravitational-wave data, offering interpretable models and robustness in low signal-to-noise scenarios.

Contribution

It unifies SDL workflows into a modular, user-friendly environment and demonstrates effective denoising and classification on real gravitational-wave data.

Findings

Successful denoising of GW170817 signal

Effective classification of LIGO glitches

Robust performance at low SNR

Abstract

Deep-learning methods are becoming increasingly important in gravitational-wave data analysis, yet their performance often relies on large training datasets and models whose internal representations are difficult to interpret. Sparse dictionary learning (SDL) offers a complementary approach: it performs well in scarce-data regimes and yields physically interpretable representations of gravitational-wave morphology. Here we present CLAWDIA (Comprehensive Library for the Analysis of Waves via Dictionary-based Algorithms), an open-source Python framework that integrates SDL-based denoising and classification under realistic detector noise. We systematise previously isolated SDL workflows into a unified, modular environment with a consistent, user-friendly interface. The current release provides several time-domain denoising strategies based on LASSO-regularised sparse coding and a classifier based on Low-Rank Shared Dictionary Learning. A companion toolbox, GWADAMA, supports dataset construction and realistic conditioning of real and simulated interferometer data. We demonstrate CLAWDIA's performance by denoising the signal from binary neutron star event GW170817 and by classifying families of instrumental glitches from LIGO's third observing run, highlighting robustness at low signal-to-noise ratios. CLAWDIA is intended as a community-driven, interoperable library extensible to additional tasks, including detection and parameter estimation.