Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory

Authors

B. Abbott
R. AbbottFollow
R. Adhikari
J. Agresti
Mario C. Diaz, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Roberto Grosso, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Soumya Mohanty, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Soma Mukherjee, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Cristina V. Torres, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-20-2007

Abstract

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has performed the fourth science run, S4, with significantly improved interferometer sensitivities with respect to previous runs. Using data acquired during this science run, we place a limit on the amplitude of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. For a frequency independent spectrum, the new Bayesian 90% upper limit is ΩGW × [H0/(12 km s-1 Mpc-1)]2 < 6.5 × 10-5. This is currently the most sensitive result in the frequency range 51-150 Hz, with a factor of 13 improvement over the previous LIGO result. We discuss the complementarity of the new result with other constraints on a stochastic background of gravitational waves, and we investigate implications of the new result for different models of this background. © 2007. The American Astronumical Society. All rights reserved.

Comments

© Astrophysical Journal. Original version available at: http://doi.org/10.1086/511329

Recommended Citation

Abbott, Benjamin, Robert Abbott, Rana Adhikari, J. Agresti, Parameswaran Ajith, Bruce Allen, R. Amin et al. "Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory." The Astrophysical Journal 659, no. 2 (2007): 918. http://doi.org/10.1086/511329

First Page

918

Last Page

930

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

DOI

10.1086/511329