Detection, measurement and gravitational radiation

Jul, 1992
30 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 46 (1992) 5236-5249
e-Print:
Report number:
  • PRINT-93-0128 (NORTHWESTERN)

Citations per year

199220002008201620240204060
Abstract: (arXiv)
Here I examine how to determine the sensitivity of the LIGO, VIRGO, and LAGOS gravitational wave detectors to sources of gravitational radiation by considering the process by which data are analyzed in a noisy detector. By constructing the probability that the detector output is consistent with the presence of a signal, I show how to (1) quantify the uncertainty that the output contains a signal and is not simply noise, and (2) construct the probability distribution that the signal parameterization has a certain value. From the distribution and its mode I determine volumes V(P)V(P) in parameter space such that actual signal parameters are in V(P)V(P) with probability PP. If we are {\em designing} a detector, or determining the suitability of an existing detector for observing a new source, then we don't have detector output to analyze but are interested in the ``most likely'' response of the detector to a signal. I exploit the techniques just described to determine the ``most likely'' volumes V(P)V(P) for detector output corresponding to the source. Finally, as an example, I apply these techniques to anticipate the sensitivity of the LIGO and LAGOS detectors to the gravitational radiation from a perturbed Kerr black hole.
  • gravitational radiation: measurement
  • counters and detectors
  • cosmological model
  • numerical calculations