Liam Cunningham

Abstract: We perform an unmodeled search for persistent, directional gravitational wave (GW) sources using data from the first and second observing runs of Advanced LIGO. We do not find evidence for any GW signals. We place limits on the broadband GW flux emitted at 25 Hz from point sources with a power law spectrum at Fα,Θ<(0.05–25)×10−8 erg cm−2 s−1 Hz−1 and the (normalized) energy density spectrum in GWs at 25 Hz from extended sources at Ωα(Θ)<(0.19–2.89)×10−8 sr−1 where α is the spectral index of the energy density spectrum. These represent improvements of 2.5–3× over previous limits. We also consider point sources emitting GWs at a single frequency, targeting the directions of Sco X-1, SN 1987A, and the Galactic center. The best upper limits on the strain amplitude of a potential source in these three directions range from h0<(3.6–4.7)×10−25, 1.5× better than previous limits set with the same analysis method. We also report on a marginally significant outlier at 36.06 Hz. This outlier is not consistent with a persistent gravitational-wave source as its significance diminishes when combining all of the available data.

TL;DR: In this article, the results of a search for gravitational-wave bursts associated with 137 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that were detected by satellite-based gamma ray experiments during the fifth LIGO science run and first Virgo science run were presented.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarize past electromagnetic follow-up efforts as well as the organization and policy of the current EM followup program and compare the four probability sky maps produced for the gravitational-wave transient GW150914, and provide additional details of the EM follow up observations that were performed in the different bands.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe directed searches for continuous gravitational waves (GWs) from 16 well-localized candidate neutron stars, assuming none of the stars has a binary companion.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe directed searches for continuous gravitational waves from sixteen well localized candidate neutron stars assuming none of the stars has a binary companion, and set upper limits on intrinsic gravitational wave strain as strict as $1\times10^{-25}, on fiducial neutron star ellipticity as strong as $2\times 10^{-9}, and on fiducial $r$-mode amplitude as tight as $3 \times 10-8}.