Observational Limit on Gravitational Waves from Binary Neutron Stars in the Galaxy

TL;DR

This paper applies optimal matched filtering to LIGO prototype data to set an upper limit on the rate of neutron star binary inspirals in our Galaxy, demonstrating a novel real-data test of the technique.

Contribution

First application of optimal matched filtering to real interferometric data for detecting galactic neutron star binaries.

Findings

Upper limit on neutron star binary inspiral rate: R< 0.5/hour at 90% confidence

Demonstrated feasibility of the filtering technique on real gravitational-wave data

Established groundwork for future LIGO observations to constrain binary populations

Abstract

Using optimal matched filtering, we search 25 hours of data from the LIGO 40-meter prototype laser interferometric gravitational-wave detector for gravitational-wave chirps emitted by coalescing binary systems within our Galaxy. This is the first test of this filtering technique on real interferometric data. An upper limit on the rate R of neutron star binary inspirals in our Galaxy is obtained: with 90% confidence, R< 0.5/hour. Similar experiments with LIGO interferometers will provide constraints on the population of tight binary neutron star systems in the Universe.