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Article
Search for the Isotropic Stochastic Background Using Data from Advanced LIGO's Second Observing Run
Faculty Publications
  • Tiffany Summerscales, Andrews University
  • LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration, LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-4-2019
Abstract

The stochastic gravitational-wave background is a superposition of sources that are either too weak or too numerous to detect individually. In this study we present the results from a cross-correlation analysis on data from Advanced LIGO's second observing run (O2), which we combine with the results of the first observing run (O1). We do not find evidence for a stochastic background, so we place upper limits on the normalized energy density in gravitational waves at the 95% credible level of ΩGW<6.0×10−8 for a frequency-independent (flat) background and ΩGW<4.8×10−8 at 25 Hz for a background of compact binary coalescences. The upper limit improves over the O1 result by a factor of 2.8. Additionally, we place upper limits on the energy density in an isotropic background of scalar- and vector-polarized gravitational waves, and we discuss the implication of these results for models of compact binaries and cosmic string backgrounds. Finally, we present a conservative estimate of the correlated broadband noise due to the magnetic Schumann resonances in O2, based on magnetometer measurements at both the LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston observatories. We find that correlated noise is well below the O2 sensitivity.

Journal Title
Physical Review D
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.100.061101
First Department
Physics
Acknowledgements
Retrieved 8/20/2020 from https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.100.061101
Citation Information
Tiffany Summerscales and LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration. "Search for the Isotropic Stochastic Background Using Data from Advanced LIGO's Second Observing Run" Vol. 100 Iss. 061101 (2019)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tiffany_summerscales/141/