Status of the search for gravitational wave bursts with the LIGO detectors

Abstract

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration has been preparing for the search for burst-like events in the first LIGO science data. We present an overview of the goals of the burst search and provide a description of the different methods used to generate triggers from the raw time series. We also introduce the infrastructure of the prototype burst analysis pipeline. This brings together triggers from the gravitational wave and diagnostics channels in a statistically defined veto strategy, and then uses a multiple interferometer coincidence mechanism to identify candidate burst events. Finally, we discuss various aspects of the burst analysis, such as the identification of the detector stationarity and strategies in the determination of the background, upper limits and efficiency estimation. These are presented as of the time of the 7th GWDAW workshop that took place in Kyoto, Japan in December 2002.