GW150914: the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration; Ilya Mandel; Anna Green; Hannah Middleton; Carl-Johan Haster; Edward Thomas; Daniel Töyrä; Serena Vinciguerra; Haoyu Wang; Christopher Berry; Walter Del Pozzo; Will Farr; Andreas Freise; Haixing Miao; Conor Mow-Lowry; Alberto Vecchio; John Veitch; Denis Martynov

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103

GW150914: the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Ilya Mandel, Anna Green, Hannah Middleton, Carl-Johan Haster, Edward Thomas, Daniel Töyrä, Serena Vinciguerra, Haoyu Wang, Christopher Berry, Walter Del Pozzo, Will Farr, Andreas Freise, Haixing Miao, Conor Mow-Lowry, Alberto Vecchio, John Veitch, Denis Martynov

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Following a major upgrade, the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) held their first observation run between September 2015 and January 2016. With a strain sensitivity of $10^{-23}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at 100 Hz, the product of observable volume and measurement time exceeded that of all previous runs within the first 16 days of coincident observation. On September 14th, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed a transient gravitational-wave signal determined to be the coalescence of two black holes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016)], launching the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The event, GW150914, was observed with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 24 in coincidence by the two detectors. Here we present the main features of the detectors that enabled this observation. At full sensitivity, the Advanced LIGO detectors are designed to deliver another factor of three improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for binary black hole systems similar in masses to GW150914.

Original language	English
Article number	131103
Number of pages	12
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	13
Early online date	31 Mar 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2016

Keywords

gr-qc
astro-ph.HE
astro-ph.IM

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103Licence: None: All rights reserved

Abbott_et_al_GW150914_the_advnced_LIGO_detectors_Physical_Review_Letters_2016
© 2016 American Physical Society Published in Physical Review Letters on 31/03/2016
Final published version, 449 KBLicence: Other (please specify with Rights Statement)

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103Licence: None: All rights reserved

Ernest Rutherford Grants 2014 - Constrainining Compact Binary Formation with Gravitational Wave Observations (Lead Glasgow University)
Veitch, J.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
14/09/15 → 13/03/19
Project: Research Councils
Ernest Rutherford Fellowship : Dr John Veitch - Surveying black holes and neutron stars with gravitational waves
Veitch, J.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/02/14 → 30/04/17
Project: Research Councils
Birmingham Astrophysics : Consolidated Grant 2013-2016
Vecchio, A., Ponman, T., Freise, A., Smith, G., Speake, C., Mandel, I., Cruise, M., Raychaudhury, S. & Stevens, I.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/04/13 → 30/09/16
Project: Research Councils
UK Involvement in the Operations of Advanced LIGO
Vecchio, A. & Freise, A.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/08/11 → 31/12/15
Project: Research Councils
Bridging Advanced LIGO to Desiign Performance and Further Sensitivity Enhancements
Vecchio, A. & Freise, A.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/07/11 → 30/06/13
Project: Research Councils
Birmingham Astrophysics - Rolling Grant 2010-2015
Ponman, T., Freise, A., Vecchio, A., Cruise, M., Raychaudhury, S., Smith, G. & Speake, C.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/04/10 → 31/03/13
Project: Research Councils
UK Involvement in the Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Project
Vecchio, A., Castelli, C. & Cruise, M.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/06/03 → 31/03/11
Project: Research Councils

Cite this

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Mandel, I., Green, A., Middleton, H., Haster, C.-J., Thomas, E., Töyrä, D., Vinciguerra, S., Wang, H., Berry, C., Del Pozzo, W., Farr, W., Freise, A., Miao, H., Mow-Lowry, C., Vecchio, A., Veitch, J., & Martynov, D. (2016). GW150914: the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries. Physical Review Letters, 116(13), Article 131103. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103

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abstract = "Following a major upgrade, the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) held their first observation run between September 2015 and January 2016. With a strain sensitivity of $10^{-23}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at 100 Hz, the product of observable volume and measurement time exceeded that of all previous runs within the first 16 days of coincident observation. On September 14th, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed a transient gravitational-wave signal determined to be the coalescence of two black holes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016)], launching the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The event, GW150914, was observed with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 24 in coincidence by the two detectors. Here we present the main features of the detectors that enabled this observation. At full sensitivity, the Advanced LIGO detectors are designed to deliver another factor of three improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for binary black hole systems similar in masses to GW150914.",

keywords = "gr-qc, astro-ph.HE, astro-ph.IM",

author = "{The LIGO Scientific Collaboration} and {Virgo Collaboration} and Ilya Mandel and Anna Green and Hannah Middleton and Carl-Johan Haster and Edward Thomas and Daniel T{\"o}yr{\"a} and Serena Vinciguerra and Haoyu Wang and Christopher Berry and {Del Pozzo}, Walter and Will Farr and Andreas Freise and Haixing Miao and Conor Mow-Lowry and Alberto Vecchio and John Veitch and Denis Martynov",

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doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103",

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The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Mandel, I, Green, A, Middleton, H, Haster, C-J, Thomas, E, Töyrä, D, Vinciguerra, S, Wang, H, Berry, C, Del Pozzo, W, Farr, W, Freise, A, Miao, H, Mow-Lowry, C, Vecchio, A, Veitch, J & Martynov, D 2016, 'GW150914: the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries', Physical Review Letters, vol. 116, no. 13, 131103. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103

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T2 - the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries

AU - The LIGO Scientific Collaboration

AU - Virgo Collaboration

AU - Mandel, Ilya

AU - Green, Anna

AU - Middleton, Hannah

AU - Haster, Carl-Johan

AU - Thomas, Edward

AU - Töyrä, Daniel

AU - Vinciguerra, Serena

AU - Wang, Haoyu

AU - Berry, Christopher

AU - Del Pozzo, Walter

AU - Farr, Will

AU - Freise, Andreas

AU - Miao, Haixing

AU - Mow-Lowry, Conor

AU - Vecchio, Alberto

AU - Veitch, John

AU - Martynov, Denis

PY - 2016/4/1

Y1 - 2016/4/1

N2 - Following a major upgrade, the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) held their first observation run between September 2015 and January 2016. With a strain sensitivity of $10^{-23}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at 100 Hz, the product of observable volume and measurement time exceeded that of all previous runs within the first 16 days of coincident observation. On September 14th, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed a transient gravitational-wave signal determined to be the coalescence of two black holes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016)], launching the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The event, GW150914, was observed with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 24 in coincidence by the two detectors. Here we present the main features of the detectors that enabled this observation. At full sensitivity, the Advanced LIGO detectors are designed to deliver another factor of three improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for binary black hole systems similar in masses to GW150914.

AB - Following a major upgrade, the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) held their first observation run between September 2015 and January 2016. With a strain sensitivity of $10^{-23}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at 100 Hz, the product of observable volume and measurement time exceeded that of all previous runs within the first 16 days of coincident observation. On September 14th, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed a transient gravitational-wave signal determined to be the coalescence of two black holes [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016)], launching the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The event, GW150914, was observed with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 24 in coincidence by the two detectors. Here we present the main features of the detectors that enabled this observation. At full sensitivity, the Advanced LIGO detectors are designed to deliver another factor of three improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for binary black hole systems similar in masses to GW150914.

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KW - astro-ph.IM

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.131103

M3 - Article

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VL - 116

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 13

M1 - 131103

ER -

GW150914: the Advanced LIGO detectors in the era of first discoveries

Abstract

Keywords

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Projects

Ernest Rutherford Grants 2014 - Constrainining Compact Binary Formation with Gravitational Wave Observations (Lead Glasgow University)

Ernest Rutherford Fellowship : Dr John Veitch - Surveying black holes and neutron stars with gravitational waves

Birmingham Astrophysics : Consolidated Grant 2013-2016

UK Involvement in the Operations of Advanced LIGO

Bridging Advanced LIGO to Desiign Performance and Further Sensitivity Enhancements

Birmingham Astrophysics - Rolling Grant 2010-2015

UK Involvement in the Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Project

Cite this