Analysis of LIGO data for gravitational waves from binary neutron stars

TL;DR

This paper presents a search for gravitational waves from binary neutron star coalescences using LIGO data, establishing upper limits on event rates in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.

Contribution

It introduces a method for setting upper limits on inspiral event rates using LIGO data and details the analysis pipeline for data selection and coincidence detection.

Findings

Established an upper limit of 170 events per year per galaxy

Demonstrated a data analysis pipeline for gravitational wave detection

Provided constraints on binary neutron star coalescence rates

Abstract

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binary systems in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. The analysis uses data taken by two of the three LIGO interferometers during the first LIGO science run and illustrates a method of setting upper limits on inspiral event rates using interferometer data. The analysis pipeline is described with particular attention to data selection and coincidence between the two interferometers. We establish an observational upper limit of $\mathcal{R}<$1.7 \times 10^{2}$ per year per Milky Way Equivalent Galaxy (MWEG), with 90% confidence, on the coalescence rate of binary systems in which each component has a mass in the range 1--3 $M_\odot$.