Tuning Advanced LIGO to kilohertz signals from neutron-star collisions. (arXiv:2010.15735v1 [astro-ph.IM])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Ganapathy_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Dhruva Ganapathy</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+McCuller_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Lee McCuller</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rollins_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jameson Graef Rollins</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hall_E/0/1/0/all/0/1">Evan D. Hall</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Barsotti_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Lisa Barsotti</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Evans_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Matthew Evans</a>
Gravitational waves produced at kilohertz frequencies in the aftermath of a
neutron star collision can shed light on the behavior of matter at extreme
temperatures and densities that are inaccessible to laboratory experiments.
Gravitational-wave interferometers are limited by quantum noise at these
frequencies but can be tuned via their optical configuration to maximize the
probability of post-merger signal detection. We compare two such tuning
strategies to turn Advanced LIGO into a post-merger-focused instrument: first,
a wideband tuning that enhances the instrument’s signal-to-noise ratio 40–80%
broadly above SI{1}{kHz} relative to the baseline, with a modest sensitivity
penalty at lower frequencies; second, a “detuned” configuration that provides
even more enhancement than the wideband tuning, but over only a narrow
frequency band and at the expense of substantially worse quantum noise
performance elsewhere. With an optimistic accounting for instrument loss and
uncertainty in post-merger parameters, the detuned instrument has a
${lesssim}40%$ sensitivity improvement compared to the wideband instrument.
Gravitational waves produced at kilohertz frequencies in the aftermath of a
neutron star collision can shed light on the behavior of matter at extreme
temperatures and densities that are inaccessible to laboratory experiments.
Gravitational-wave interferometers are limited by quantum noise at these
frequencies but can be tuned via their optical configuration to maximize the
probability of post-merger signal detection. We compare two such tuning
strategies to turn Advanced LIGO into a post-merger-focused instrument: first,
a wideband tuning that enhances the instrument’s signal-to-noise ratio 40–80%
broadly above SI{1}{kHz} relative to the baseline, with a modest sensitivity
penalty at lower frequencies; second, a “detuned” configuration that provides
even more enhancement than the wideband tuning, but over only a narrow
frequency band and at the expense of substantially worse quantum noise
performance elsewhere. With an optimistic accounting for instrument loss and
uncertainty in post-merger parameters, the detuned instrument has a
${lesssim}40%$ sensitivity improvement compared to the wideband instrument.
http://arxiv.org/icons/sfx.gif
