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Gw170608: Observation Of A 19 Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Gw170608: Observation Of A 19 Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Faculty Publications
On 2017 June 8 at 02:01:16.49 UTC, a gravitational-wave (GW) signal from the merger of two stellar-mass blackholes was observed by the two Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory detectors with anetwork signal-to-noise ratio of 13. This system is the lightest black hole binary so far observed, with componentmasses of 12+7-2M⊙7+2-2 (90% credible intervals). These lie in the range of measured black hole masses inlow-mass X-ray binaries, thus allowing us to compare black holes detected through GWs with electromagneticobservations. The source's luminosity distance is 340+140-140corresponding to redshift -0.07+0.03003. We verify thatthe signal waveform is consistent with the predictions of general relativity.
Estimating The Contribution Of Dynamical Ejecta In The Kilonova Associated With Gw170817, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Estimating The Contribution Of Dynamical Ejecta In The Kilonova Associated With Gw170817, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Faculty Publications
The source of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal GW170817, very likely a binary neutron star merger, was also observed electromagnetically, providing the first multi-messenger observations of this type. The two-week-long electromagnetic (EM) counterpart had a signature indicative of an r-process-induced optical transient known as a kilonova. This Letter examines how the mass of the dynamical ejecta can be estimated without a direct electromagnetic observation of the kilonova, using GW measurements and a phenomenological model calibrated to numerical simulations of mergers with dynamical ejecta. Specifically, we apply the model to the binary masses inferred from the GW measurements, and use the resulting …
On The Progenitor Of Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
On The Progenitor Of Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Faculty Publications
On 2017 August 17 the merger of two compact objects with masses consistent with two neutron stars was discovered through gravitational-wave (GW170817), gamma-ray (GRB 170817A), and optical (SSS17a/AT 2017gfo) observations. The optical source was associated with the early-type galaxy NGC 4993 at a distance of just ∼40 Mpc, consistent with the gravitational-wave measurement, and the merger was localized to be at a projected distance of ∼2 kpc away from the galaxy's center. We use this minimal set of facts and the mass posteriors of the two neutron stars to derive the first constraints on the progenitor of GW170817 at the …
Search For High-Energy Neutrinos From Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817 With Antares, Icecube, And The Pierre Auger Observatory, A. Albert, M. André, M. Anghinolfi, M. Ardid, J. J. Aubert, J. Aublin, T. Avgitas, B. Baret, J. Barrios-Martí, S. Basa, B. Belhorma, V. Bertin, S. Biagi, R. Bormuth, S. Bourret, M. C. Bouwhuis, H. Brânzaş, R. Bruijn, J. Brunner, J. Busto, A. Capone, L. Caramete, J. Carr, S. Celli, R. Cherkaoui El Moursli, T. Chiarusi, M. Circella, J. A.B. Coelho, A. Coleiro, R. Coniglione, H. Costantini, P. Coyle, A. Creusot
Search For High-Energy Neutrinos From Binary Neutron Star Merger Gw170817 With Antares, Icecube, And The Pierre Auger Observatory, A. Albert, M. André, M. Anghinolfi, M. Ardid, J. J. Aubert, J. Aublin, T. Avgitas, B. Baret, J. Barrios-Martí, S. Basa, B. Belhorma, V. Bertin, S. Biagi, R. Bormuth, S. Bourret, M. C. Bouwhuis, H. Brânzaş, R. Bruijn, J. Brunner, J. Busto, A. Capone, L. Caramete, J. Carr, S. Celli, R. Cherkaoui El Moursli, T. Chiarusi, M. Circella, J. A.B. Coelho, A. Coleiro, R. Coniglione, H. Costantini, P. Coyle, A. Creusot
Faculty Publications
The Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observatories recently discovered gravitational waves from a binary neutron star inspiral. A short gamma-ray burst (GRB) that followed the merger of this binary was also recorded by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (Fermi-GBM), and the Anti-Coincidence Shield for the Spectrometer for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), indicating particle acceleration by the source. The precise location of the event was determined by optical detections of emission following the merger. We searched for high-energy neutrinos from the merger in the GeV-EeV energy range using the Antares, IceCube, and Pierre Auger Observatories. No neutrinos directionally coincident …
Gravitational Waves And Gamma-Rays From A Binary Neutron Star Merger: Gw170817 And Grb 170817a, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, M. A. Aloy, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai
Gravitational Waves And Gamma-Rays From A Binary Neutron Star Merger: Gw170817 And Grb 170817a, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, M. A. Aloy, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai
Faculty Publications
On 2017 August 17, the gravitational-wave event GW170817 was observed by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, and the gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 170817A was observed independently by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, and the Anti-Coincidence Shield for the Spectrometer for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory. The probability of the near-simultaneous temporal and spatial observation of GRB 170817A and GW170817 occurring by chance is 5.0 × 10-8. We therefore confirm binary neutron star mergers as a progenitor of short GRBs. The association of GW170817 and GRB 170817A provides new insight into fundamental physics and the origin of short GRBs. We …
Upper Limits On Gravitational Waves From Scorpius X-1 From A Model-Based Cross-Correlation Search In Advanced Ligo Data, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda
Upper Limits On Gravitational Waves From Scorpius X-1 From A Model-Based Cross-Correlation Search In Advanced Ligo Data, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda
Faculty Publications
We present the results of a semicoherent search for continuous gravitational waves from the low-mass X-ray binary Scorpius X-1, using data from the first Advanced LIGO observing run. The search method uses details of the modeled, parametrized continuous signal to combine coherently data separated by less than a specified coherence time, which can be adjusted to trade off sensitivity against computational cost. A search was conducted over the frequency range 25-2000 Hz, spanning the current observationally constrained range of binary orbital parameters. No significant detection candidates were found, and frequency-dependent upper limits were set using a combination of sensitivity estimates …
Fermi Observations Of The Ligo Event Gw170104, A. Goldstein, P. Veres, E. Burns, L. Blackburn, M. S. Briggs, N. Christensen, W. H. Cleveland, V. Connaughton, T. Dal Canton, R. Hamburg, C. M. Hui, P. A. Jenke, D. Kocevski, R. D. Preece, K. Siellez, J. Veitch, C. A. Wilson-Hodge, N. Bhat, E. Bissaldi, M. H. Gibby, M. M. Giles, A. Von Kienlin, B. Mailyan, C. A. Meegan, W. S. Paciesas, O. J. Roberts, M. Stanbro, M. Ackermann, M. Ajello, W. B. Atwood, L. Baldini, G. Barbiellini, D. Bastieri
Fermi Observations Of The Ligo Event Gw170104, A. Goldstein, P. Veres, E. Burns, L. Blackburn, M. S. Briggs, N. Christensen, W. H. Cleveland, V. Connaughton, T. Dal Canton, R. Hamburg, C. M. Hui, P. A. Jenke, D. Kocevski, R. D. Preece, K. Siellez, J. Veitch, C. A. Wilson-Hodge, N. Bhat, E. Bissaldi, M. H. Gibby, M. M. Giles, A. Von Kienlin, B. Mailyan, C. A. Meegan, W. S. Paciesas, O. J. Roberts, M. Stanbro, M. Ackermann, M. Ajello, W. B. Atwood, L. Baldini, G. Barbiellini, D. Bastieri
Faculty Publications
We present the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) observations of the LIGO binary black hole merger (BBH) event GW170104. No candidate electromagnetic counterpart was detected by either GBM or LAT. A detailed analysis of the GBM and LAT data over timescales from seconds to days covering the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) localization region is presented. The resulting flux upper bound from the GBM is (5.2-9.4) ×10-7 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 10-1000 keV range and from the LAT is (0.2-90) ×10-9 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 0.1-1 GeV range. We also describe the improvements …
Search For Gravitational Waves Associated With Gamma-Ray Bursts During The First Advanced Ligo Observing Run And Implications For The Origin Of Grb 150906b, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
Search For Gravitational Waves Associated With Gamma-Ray Bursts During The First Advanced Ligo Observing Run And Implications For The Origin Of Grb 150906b, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
Faculty Publications
We present the results of the search for gravitational waves (GWs) associated with γ-ray bursts detected during the first observing run of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). We find no evidence of a GW signal for any of the 41 γ-ray bursts for which LIGO data are available with sufficient duration. For all γ-ray bursts, we place lower bounds on the distance to the source using the optimistic assumption that GWs with an energy of were emitted within the-Hz band, and we find a median 90% confidence limit of 71 Mpc at 150 Hz. For the subset of …
Effects Of Waveform Model Systematics On The Interpretation Of Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
Effects Of Waveform Model Systematics On The Interpretation Of Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
Faculty Publications
Parameter estimates of GW150914 were obtained using Bayesian inference, based on three semi-analytic waveform models for binary black hole coalescences. These waveform models differ from each other in their treatment of black hole spins, and all three models make some simplifying assumptions, notably to neglect sub-dominant waveform harmonic modes and orbital eccentricity. Furthermore, while the models are calibrated to agree with waveforms obtained by full numerical solutions of Einstein's equations, any such calibration is accurate only to some non-zero tolerance and is limited by the accuracy of the underlying phenomenology, availability, quality, and parameter-space coverage of numerical simulations. This paper …
First Search For Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars With Advanced Ligo, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
First Search For Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars With Advanced Ligo, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton
Faculty Publications
We present the result of searches for gravitational waves from 200 pulsars using data from the first observing run of the Advanced LIGO detectors. We find no significant evidence for a gravitational-wave signal from any of these pulsars, but we are able to set the most constraining upper limits yet on their gravitational-wave amplitudes and ellipticities. For eight of these pulsars, our upper limits give bounds that are improvements over the indirect spin-down limit values. For another 32, we are within a factor of 10 of the spin-down limit, and it is likely that some of these will be reachable …
Exploring The Sensitivity Of Next Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, K. Ackley, C. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, P. A. Altin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. C. Arceneaux, J. S. Areeda, K. G. Arun, G. Ashton, M. Ast, S. M. Aston, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, S. Babak, P. T. Baker, S. W. Ballmer, J. C. Barayoga, S. E. Barclay
Exploring The Sensitivity Of Next Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, K. Ackley, C. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, P. A. Altin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. C. Arceneaux, J. S. Areeda, K. G. Arun, G. Ashton, M. Ast, S. M. Aston, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, S. Babak, P. T. Baker, S. W. Ballmer, J. C. Barayoga, S. E. Barclay
Faculty Publications
The second-generation of gravitational-wave detectors are just starting operation, and have already yielding their first detections. Research is now concentrated on how to maximize the scientific potential of gravitational-wave astronomy. To support this effort, we present here design targets for a new generation of detectors, which will be capable of observing compact binary sources with high signal-to-noise ratio throughout the Universe.
Searching The Gamma-Ray Sky For Counterparts To Gravitational Wave Sources: Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monito R And Large Area Telescope Observations Of Lvt151012 And Gw151226, Fermi Lat Collaboration, J. L. Racusin, E. Burns, A. Goldstein, V. Connaughton, C. A. Wilson-Hodge, P. Jenke, L. Blackburn, M. S. Briggs, J. Broida, J. Camp, N. Christensen, C. M. Hui, T. Littenberg, P. Shawhan, L. Singer, J. Veitch, P. N. Bhat, W. Cleveland, G. Fitzpatrick, M. H. Gibby, A. Von Kienlin, S. Mcbreen, B. Mailyan, C. A. Meegan, W. S. Paciesas, R. D. Preece, O. J. Roberts, M. Stanbro, P. Veres, B. B. Zhang, M. Ackermann, A. Albert
Searching The Gamma-Ray Sky For Counterparts To Gravitational Wave Sources: Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monito R And Large Area Telescope Observations Of Lvt151012 And Gw151226, Fermi Lat Collaboration, J. L. Racusin, E. Burns, A. Goldstein, V. Connaughton, C. A. Wilson-Hodge, P. Jenke, L. Blackburn, M. S. Briggs, J. Broida, J. Camp, N. Christensen, C. M. Hui, T. Littenberg, P. Shawhan, L. Singer, J. Veitch, P. N. Bhat, W. Cleveland, G. Fitzpatrick, M. H. Gibby, A. Von Kienlin, S. Mcbreen, B. Mailyan, C. A. Meegan, W. S. Paciesas, R. D. Preece, O. J. Roberts, M. Stanbro, P. Veres, B. B. Zhang, M. Ackermann, A. Albert
Faculty Publications
We present the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) observations of the LIGO binary black hole merger event GW151226 and candidate LVT151012. At the time of the LIGO triggers on LVT151012 and GW151226, GBM was observing 68% and 83% of the localization regions, and LAT was observing 47% and 32%, respectively. No candidate electromagnetic counterparts were detected by either the GBM or LAT. We present a detailed analysis of the GBM and LAT data over a range of timescales from seconds to years, using automated pipelines and new techniques for characterizing the flux upper bounds across …
Cosmology With Gravitational Waves In Des And Lsst, Kenneth Herner, Marcelle Soares-Santos, James Annis, G. González, R. Hynes
Cosmology With Gravitational Waves In Des And Lsst, Kenneth Herner, Marcelle Soares-Santos, James Annis, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
Motivated by the prospect of the wealth of data arising from the inauguration of the era of gravitational wave detection by ground-based interferometers the DES collaboration, in partnership with members of the LIGO collaboration and members of the astronomical community at large, have established a research program to search for their optical counterparts and to explore their use as cosmological probes. In this talk we present the status of our program and discuss prospects for establishing this new probe as part of the portfolio of the Dark Energy research program in the future, in particular for the next generation survey, …
Observations Of Gw170817 By Desgw And The Decam Gw-Em Collaboration, James Annis, G. González, R. Hynes
Observations Of Gw170817 By Desgw And The Decam Gw-Em Collaboration, James Annis, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
On August 17, 2017 LIGO/Virgo detected a binary neutron star via gravitational waves. We observed 70 sq-degrees in the LIGO/Virgo spatial localization with the DECam on the 4m Blanco telescope covering 80% of the final map. Our group independently discovered an optical counterpart in NGC 4993. We searched our entire imaged region: the object in NGC 4993 was the only viable candidate. Our observations of NGC4993 show complicated morphology but simple star formation history. Our x-ray and radio observations indicate an off-axis jet as afterglow. Our high-cadence optical and infrared spectra show a source that must be described by at …
Multi-Messenger Observations Of A Binary Neutron Star Merger, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Multi-Messenger Observations Of A Binary Neutron Star Merger, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Afrough, B. Agarwal, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, G. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya
Faculty Publications
On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40-+88 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to …
The Basic Physics Of The Binary Black Hole Merger Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. C. Arceneaux, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton, M. Ast
The Basic Physics Of The Binary Black Hole Merger Gw150914, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. C. Arceneaux, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton, M. Ast
Faculty Publications
The first direct gravitational-wave detection was made by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory on September 14, 2015. The GW150914 signal was strong enough to be apparent, without using any waveform model, in the filtered detector strain data. Here, features of the signal visible in the data are analyzed using concepts from Newtonian physics and general relativity, accessible to anyone with a general physics background. The simple analysis presented here is consistent with the fully general-relativistic analyses published elsewhere, in showing that the signal was produced by the inspiral and subsequent merger of two black holes. The black holes …
Merging Massive Black Holes The Right Place And The Right Time, Astrid Lamberts, G. González, R. Hynes
Merging Massive Black Holes The Right Place And The Right Time, Astrid Lamberts, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
The LIGO/Virgo detections of gravitational waves from merging black holes of ≃ 30 solar mass suggest progenitor stars of low metallicity (Z/ZO ≤ 0.3). In this talk I will provide constrains on where the progenitors of GW150914 and GW170104 may have formed, based on advanced models of galaxy formation and evolution combined with binary population synthesis models. First I will combine estimates of galaxy properties (star-forming gas metallicity, star formation rate and merger rate) across cosmic time to predict the low redshift BBH merger rate as a function of present day host galaxy mass, formation redshift of the progenitor system …
High Accuracy Measurement Of Gravitational Wave Back-Reaction In The Oj287 Black Hole Binary, Mauri J. Valtonen, L. Dey, R. Hudec, S. Zola, A. Gopakumar, S. Mikkola, S. Ciprini, K. Matsumoto, K. Sadakane, M. Kidger, K. Gazeas, K. Nilsson, A. Berdyugin, V. Piirola, H. Jermak, K. S. Baliyan, D. E. Reichart, D. B. Caton, S. Haque, G. González, R. Hynes
High Accuracy Measurement Of Gravitational Wave Back-Reaction In The Oj287 Black Hole Binary, Mauri J. Valtonen, L. Dey, R. Hudec, S. Zola, A. Gopakumar, S. Mikkola, S. Ciprini, K. Matsumoto, K. Sadakane, M. Kidger, K. Gazeas, K. Nilsson, A. Berdyugin, V. Piirola, H. Jermak, K. S. Baliyan, D. E. Reichart, D. B. Caton, S. Haque, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
Blazar OJ287 exhibits large thermal flares at least twice every 12 years. The times of these flares have been predicted successfully using the model of a quasi-Keplerian eccentric black hole binary where the secondary impacts the accretion disk of the primary, creating the thermal flares. New measurements of the historical light curve have been combined with the observations of the 2015 November/December flare to identify the impact record since year 1886, and to constrain the orbit of the binary. The orbital solution shows that the binary period, now 12.062 years, is decreasing at the rate of 36 days per century. …
Strong-Lensing Of Gravitational Waves By Galaxy Clusters, Graham P. Smith, Christopher Berry, Matteo Bianconi, Will M. Farr, Mathilde Jauzac, Richard Massey, Johan Richard, Andrew Robertson, Keren Sharon, Alberto Vecchio, John Veitch, G. González, R. Hynes
Strong-Lensing Of Gravitational Waves By Galaxy Clusters, Graham P. Smith, Christopher Berry, Matteo Bianconi, Will M. Farr, Mathilde Jauzac, Richard Massey, Johan Richard, Andrew Robertson, Keren Sharon, Alberto Vecchio, John Veitch, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
Discovery of strongly-lensed gravitational wave (GW) sources will unveil binary compact objects at higher redshifts and lower intrinsic luminosities than is possible without lensing. Such systems will yield unprecedented constraints on the mass distribution in galaxy clusters, measurements of the polarization of GWs, tests of General Relativity, and constraints on the Hubble parameter. Excited by these prospects, and intrigued by the presence of so-called "heavy black holes" in the early detections by LIGO-Virgo, we commenced a search for strongly-lensed GWs and possible electromagnetic counterparts in the latter stages of the second LIGO observing run (O2). Here, we summarise our calculation …
Revealing Short Grb Jet Structure And Dynamics With Gravitational Wave Electromagnetic Counterparts, Gavin P. Lamb, Shiho Kobayashi, G. González, R. Hynes
Revealing Short Grb Jet Structure And Dynamics With Gravitational Wave Electromagnetic Counterparts, Gavin P. Lamb, Shiho Kobayashi, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
Compact object mergers are promising candidates for the progenitor system of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Using gravitational wave (GW) triggers to identify a merger, any electromagnetic (EM) counterparts from the jet can be used to constrain the dynamics and structure of short GRB jets. GW triggered searches could reveal a hidden population of optical transients associated with the short-lived jets from the merger object. If the population of merger-jets is dominated by low-Lorentz-factors, then a GW triggered search will reveal the on-axis orphan afterglows from these failed GRBs. By considering the EM counterparts from a jet, with or without the …
Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates From The Pan-Starrs1 Medium Deep Survey, Tingting Liu, Suvi Gezari, G. González, R. Hynes
Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates From The Pan-Starrs1 Medium Deep Survey, Tingting Liu, Suvi Gezari, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
We conducted a systematic search for periodically varying quasars, which are predicted manifestations of sub-pc supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), in the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1 MDS). Since the normal variability of quasars can also mimic periodicity over a small number of cycles, we have extended the temporal baseline by monitoring the candidates with the Discovery Channel Telescope and the Las Cumbres Observatory telescopes. We have also adopted a more rigorous method to evaluate the significance of the periodic candidates, by considering in the light curves a red noise background modeled as the Damped Random Walk process. While none …
Observations Of The First Electromagnetic Counterpart To A Gravitational Wave Source By The Toros Collaboration, Lucas M. Macri, Mario C. Diaz, Diego Garcia Lambas, G. González, R. Hynes
Observations Of The First Electromagnetic Counterpart To A Gravitational Wave Source By The Toros Collaboration, Lucas M. Macri, Mario C. Diaz, Diego Garcia Lambas, G. González, R. Hynes
Faculty Publications
We present the results of prompt optical follow-up of the electromagnetic counterpart of GW170817 by the Transient Optical Robotic Observatory of the South Collaboration (TOROS). We detected highly significant dimming in the light curves of the counterpart over the course of only 80 minutes of observations obtained ∼35 hr after the trigger with the T80-South telescope. A second epoch of observations, obtained ∼59 hr after the event with the EABA 1.5m telescope, confirms the fast fading nature of the transient. The observed colors of the counterpart suggest that this event was a "blue kilonova" relatively free of lanthanides.