Advanced Signal Analysis Methods For Detection of Gravitational Waves with LIGO

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

The inspiral and merger of black holes and neutron stars are the most promising sources of gravitational wave signals for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO), expected to become operational in 2002. Inspiral signals take the form of chirps, i.e. signals with monotonically increasing frequency. Methods will be developed for the detection of chirped signals. Specifically, a new approach, the Fast Chirp Transform (FCT), will be implemented. The FCT provides a simple and elegant formalism for detecting a broad class of variable frequency signals, and is is a generalization of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to non-linear phase evolution such as that exhibited by chirped signals. Development of Fast Chirp Transform techniques will allow fast on-the-fly realization of matched filter detection techniques without the need for generation of large families of binary inspiral signal templates. FCT techniques will also allow enhanced tests for detector confidence by measuring the false event rate for chirp signals. Finally, FCT techniques will be applicable to the detection of binary black hole inspiral by allowing searches over a wider range of black hole spins.