Search for intermediate mass black hole binaries in the first observing run of Advanced LIGO

Collaborations
Apr 15, 2017
14 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 96 (2017) 2, 022001
  • Published: Jul 11, 2017
e-Print:
Experiments:

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Abstract: (APS)
During their first observational run, the two Advanced LIGO detectors attained an unprecedented sensitivity, resulting in the first direct detections of gravitational-wave signals produced by stellar-mass binary black hole systems. This paper reports on an all-sky search for gravitational waves (GWs) from merging intermediate mass black hole binaries (IMBHBs). The combined results from two independent search techniques were used in this study: the first employs a matched-filter algorithm that uses a bank of filters covering the GW signal parameter space, while the second is a generic search for GW transients (bursts). No GWs from IMBHBs were detected; therefore, we constrain the rate of several classes of IMBHB mergers. The most stringent limit is obtained for black holes of individual mass 100  M⊙, with spins aligned with the binary orbital angular momentum. For such systems, the merger rate is constrained to be less than 0.93  Gpc−3 yr−1 in comoving units at the 90% confidence level, an improvement of nearly 2 orders of magnitude over previous upper limits.
Note:
  • 8 pages, 2 figures
  • 04.25.dg
  • 04.30.-w
  • 04.80.Nn
  • 97.60.Lf
  • black hole: binary
  • black hole: mass
  • gravitational radiation: emission
  • gravitational radiation detector
  • gravitational radiation
  • gravitational radiation: direct detection
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