Upper limits based on "loudest" events

TL;DR

This paper discusses upper limit calculations based on the loudest events method, highlighting a correction to previous results and emphasizing the importance of background considerations in improving limits.

Contribution

It corrects a crucial error in previous formulations and clarifies how background inclusion enhances upper limit bounds in loudest events analysis.

Findings

Corrected the probability sector combination error

Confirmed the limit improvement with background consideration

Aligned results with previous work in no-background case

Abstract

This paper has been withdrawn due to a crucial error in combining the two probability sectors represented in equations 13 and 14. Corrected, one can recover, in the limit of no background, the results of Allen et al. The general result that an analysis allowing for a background permits a substantial improvement of the limit still holds, though the presentation in the gr-qc/9907070 is flawed.