Noise Line Identification in LIGO S6 and Virgo VSR2

LIGO S6 detector characterization studies

LIGO recently commenced its sixth science run (S6) simultaneously with Virgo starting its second science run (VSR2). Because of differing interferometer configurations with respect to S5, much effort has been invested understanding new sources of noise in the LIGO S6 interferometers. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration’s detector characterization working group is actively investigating the origin...

Used percentage veto for LIGO and virgo binary inspiral searches

A challenge for ground-based gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO and Virgo is to understand the origin of non-astrophysical transients that contribute to the background noise, obscuring real astrophysically produced signals. To help this effort, there are a number of environmental and instrumental sensors around the site, recording data in “channels”. We developed a method called the used...

Identification of long-duration noise transients in LIGO and Virgo

Search techniques for gravitational waves from black-hole ringdowns

The first kilometer-scale gravitational wave observatories, LIGO [1] and VIRGO [2], are expected to begin performing searches for astrophysical sources of gravitational waves in the year 2002. By this time, it will be necessary to have data analysis software for on-line searches. Because the anticipated signals are expected to be weak, near-optimal strategies for data analysis will be required ...

Correlated magnetic noise in global networks of gravitational-wave detectors: Observations and implications

One of the most ambitious goals of gravitational-wave astronomy is to observe the stochastic gravitational-wave background. Correlated noise in two or more detectors can introduce a systematic error, which limits the sensitivity of stochastic searches. We report on measurements of correlated magnetic noise from Schumann resonances at the widely separated LIGO and Virgo detectors. We investigate...