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

Authors

B. Abbott
R. Abbott
R. Adhikari
J. Agresti
P. Ajith
B. Allen
R. Amin
S. B. Anderson
W. G. Anderson
M. Araya
H. Armandula
M. Ashley
S. Aston
C. Aulbert
S. Babak
S. Ballmer
B. C. Barish
C. Barker
D. Barker
B. Barr
P. Barriga
M. A. Barton
K. Bayer
K. BelczynskiFollow
J. BetzwieserFollow
P. Beyersdorf
B. Bhawal
I. A. Bilenko
G. Billingsley
E. Black

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

B. Abbott, et. al., (2007) Searching for a stochastic background of gravitational waves with the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory.Astrophysical Journal659:2 I918. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1086/511329

First Page

918

Last Page

930

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

DOI

10.1086/511329