Exploiting Large-Scale Correlations to Detect Continuous Gravitational Waves

Holger J. Pletsch and Bruce Allen
Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 181102 – Published 27 October 2009

Abstract

Fully coherent searches (over realistic ranges of parameter space and year-long observation times) for unknown sources of continuous gravitational waves are computationally prohibitive. Less expensive hierarchical searches divide the data into shorter segments which are analyzed coherently, then detection statistics from different segments are combined incoherently. The novel method presented here solves the long-standing problem of how best to do the incoherent combination. The optimal solution exploits large-scale parameter-space correlations in the coherent detection statistic. Application to simulated data shows dramatic sensitivity improvements compared with previously available (ad hoc) methods, increasing the spatial volume probed by more than 2 orders of magnitude at lower computational cost.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 2 June 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.181102

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Holger J. Pletsch1,* and Bruce Allen1,2,†

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Callinstraße 38, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Post Office Box 413, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA

  • *Holger.Pletsch@aei.mpg.de
  • Bruce.Allen@aei.mpg.de

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Vol. 103, Iss. 18 — 30 October 2009

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