Searching for a Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
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/(72 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.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 2007
- DOI:
- 10.1086/511329
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0608606
- Bibcode:
- 2007ApJ...659..918A
- Keywords:
-
- Gravitational Waves;
- Astrophysics;
- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
- E-Print:
- 37 pages, 16 figures