First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events

During the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transm...

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Main Authors: The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, The Virgo Collaboration, Sokolowski, Marcin
Format: Journal Article
Published: Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7763
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author The LIGO Scientific Collaboration
The Virgo Collaboration
Sokolowski, Marcin
author_facet The LIGO Scientific Collaboration
The Virgo Collaboration
Sokolowski, Marcin
author_sort The LIGO Scientific Collaboration
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description During the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transmitted to several telescopes for follow-up observations aimed at the detection of an associated optical transient. Images were obtained for eight such GW candidates. We present the methods used to analyze the image data as well as the transient search results. No optical transient was identified with a convincing association with any of these candidates, and none of the GW triggers showed strong evidence for being astrophysical in nature. We compare the sensitivities of these observations to several model light curves from possible sources of interest, and discuss prospects for future joint GW-optical observations of this type.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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publishDate 2014
publisher Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-77632017-09-13T14:33:46Z First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events The LIGO Scientific Collaboration The Virgo Collaboration Sokolowski, Marcin gravitational waves stars: neutron surveys catalogs binaries: close During the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and Virgo joint science runs in 2009-2010, gravitational wave (GW) data from three interferometer detectors were analyzed within minutes to select GW candidate events and infer their apparent sky positions. Target coordinates were transmitted to several telescopes for follow-up observations aimed at the detection of an associated optical transient. Images were obtained for eight such GW candidates. We present the methods used to analyze the image data as well as the transient search results. No optical transient was identified with a convincing association with any of these candidates, and none of the GW triggers showed strong evidence for being astrophysical in nature. We compare the sensitivities of these observations to several model light curves from possible sources of interest, and discuss prospects for future joint GW-optical observations of this type. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7763 10.1088/0067-0049/211/1/7 Institute of Physics Publishing, Inc. unknown
spellingShingle gravitational waves
stars: neutron
surveys
catalogs
binaries: close
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration
The Virgo Collaboration
Sokolowski, Marcin
First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title_full First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title_fullStr First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title_full_unstemmed First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title_short First searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
title_sort first searches for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave candidate events
topic gravitational waves
stars: neutron
surveys
catalogs
binaries: close
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/7763