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Upper Limit on a Stochastic Background of Gravitational Waves from Seismic Measurements in the Range 0.05–1 Hz

Michael Coughlin and Jan Harms
Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 101102 – Published 13 March 2014
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Abstract

In this Letter, we present an upper limit of ΩGW<1.2×108 on an isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave (GW) background integrated over a year in the frequency range 0.05–1 Hz, which improves current upper limits from high-precision laboratory experiments by about 9 orders of magnitude. The limit is obtained using the response of Earth itself to GWs via a free-surface effect described more than 40 years ago by Dyson. The response was measured by a global network of broadband seismometers selected to maximize the sensitivity.

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  • Received 13 January 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.101102

© 2014 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Earth as Giant Gravitational Wave Detector

Published 13 March 2014

Seismographic data place new, stronger limits on the amount of gravitational wave energy in the Universe.

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Authors & Affiliations

Michael Coughlin1 and Jan Harms2

  • 1Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 2INFN, Sezione di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy

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Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 10 — 14 March 2014

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