Sources Of Continuous Gravitational Waves Research Articles

Gravitational waves from nonradial oscillations of stochastically accreting neutron stars

Abstract Oscillating neutron stars are sources of continuous gravitational waves. We study analytically the excitation of stellar oscillations by the mechanical impact on the stellar surface of ‘clumps’ of stochastically accreted matter. We calculate the waveform and spectrum of the gravitational wave signal emitted by the accretion-driven pulsations. Results are generated for an idealised model of a nonrotating, unmagnetised, one-component star with uniform polytropic index npoly assuming Newtonian gravity and the Cowling approximation. We find that the excited mode amplitudes grow with increasing npoly and mode order n. The gravitational wave signal forms a sequence of amplitude-modulated packets for npoly = 1, lasting ∼10−3s after each impact. The gravitational wave strain increases with increasing npoly, but decreases with increasing n and increasing multipole order l for npoly = 1. In the observing band of current long-baseline interferometers, g-modes emit higher, narrower peaks in the amplitude spectral density than f- and p-modes, with the highest peaks reaching ∼10−26Hz−1/2 for modes with damping time τnl ∼ 108yr. The root-mean-square strain hrms, calculated by summing over modes with 2 ≤ l ≤ 4 and τnl ≤ 108yr, spans the range 10−33 ≤ hrms ≤ 10−32 for 1 ≤ npoly ≤ 2.

Neutron star crust can support a large ellipticity

ABSTRACT Non-axisymmetrical deformations of the crust on rapidly rotating neutron stars are one of the main targets of searches for continuous gravitational waves. The maximum ellipticity, or fractional difference in moments of inertia, which can be supported by deformations of the crust (known as ‘mountains’), provides an important upper limit on the strength of these continuous gravitational wave sources. We use the formalism developed by Gittins and Andersson, along with a deforming force that acts mainly in the transverse direction, to obtain a maximum ellipticity of 7.4 × 10−6. This is larger than the original results that Gittins and Andersson obtained but consistent with earlier calculations by Ushomirsky, Cutler, and Bildsten. This suggests that rotating neutron stars could be strong sources of continuous gravitational waves.

Mountain formation by repeated, inhomogeneous crustal failure in a neutron star

ABSTRACT The elastic crust of a neutron star fractures repeatedly as it spins down electromagnetically. An idealized, macroscopic model of inhomogeneous crustal failure is presented based on a cellular automaton with nearest-neighbour tectonic interactions involving strain redistribution and thermal dissipation. Predictions are made of the size and waiting-time distributions of failure events, as well as the rate of failure as the star spins down. The last failure event typically occurs when the star spins down to $\approx 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of its birth frequency with implications for rotational glitch activity. Neutron stars are commonly suggested as sources of continuous gravitational waves. The output of the automaton is converted into predictions of the star’s mass ellipticity and gravitational wave strain as functions of its age, with implications for future observations with instruments such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO).

Poisson-Arago spot for gravitational waves

For the observer at infinity, a Schwarzschild black hole serves as an attractive opaque disk with a radius of $$3\,\sqrt 3 M$$ that will produce the diffraction pattern of gravitational waves (GWs). In this study, we demonstrate that a bright spot, which is a diffraction effect analogous to the Poisson-Arago spot in optics, will appear when an ingoing (quasi-)plane GW is diffracted by a Schwarzschild black hole. Here, we propose the diffraction effect of the GWs described by the exact diffraction solution of the GWs using the Heun function. For the first time, the Fresnel half-wave zone method is proposed to calculate the angular part of the GW scattering stripes for the observer at infinity. The prospect of observing the diffraction bright spot is discussed with an eikonal approximation. For normal incidence (quasi)-plane waves with 100 Hz (0.1 Hz) frequency diffracted by the central black hole of the Milky Way, the time delay between the Earth bathed in a bright spot and the minimum of the first dark stripe is 3.86 (3860) d. We will witness the second bright fringe (40% amplitude of the central bright spot) after 6.2 (6200) d. This new diffraction pattern involving the early phase of inspirals and pulsars as continuous gravitational wave sources is a potential scientific target for future space-and ground-based gravitational wave detectors, respectively.

Detectability of continuous gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in the Milky Way

Aims. We estimate the number of pulsars, detectable as continuous gravitational wave sources with the current and future gravitational-wave detectors, assuming a simple phenomenological model of evolving non-axisymmetry of the rotating neutron star. Methods. We employed a numerical model of the Galactic neutron star population, with the properties established by comparison with radio observations of isolated Galactic pulsars. We generated an arbitrarily large synthetic population of neutron stars and evolved their period, magnetic field, and position in space. We used a gravitational wave emission model based on exponentially decaying ellipticity (i.e. non-axisymmetry of the star) with no assumption of the origin of a given ellipticity. We calculated the expected signal in a given detector for a one-year observation, and assumed a detection criterion of the signal-to-noise ratio of 11.4, comparable to a targeted continous wave search. We analysed the detectable population separately in each detector: Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo, and the planned Einstein Telescope. In the calculation of the expected signal we neglect the frequency change of the signals due to the source’s spindown and the Earth’s motion with respect to the solar barycentre. Results. With conservative values for the neutron star evolution (a supernova rate of once per 100 years, initial ellipticity ϵ0 ≃ 10−5 with no decay of the ellipticity η = thub ≃ 104 Myr), the expected number of detected neutron stars is 0.15 (based on a simulation of 10 M stars) for the Advanced LIGO detector. A broader study of the parameter space (ϵ0, η) is presented. With the planned sensitivity for the Einstein Telescope, and assuming the same ellipiticity model, the expected detection number is 26.4 pulsars during a one-year observing run.

All-sky search in early O3 LIGO data for continuous gravitational-wave signals from unknown neutron stars in binary systems

Rapidly spinning neutron stars are promising sources of continuous gravitational waves. Detecting such a signal would allow probing of the physical properties of matter under extreme conditions. A significant fraction of the known pulsar population belongs to binary systems. Searching for unknown neutron stars in binary systems requires specialized algorithms to address unknown orbital frequency modulations. We present a search for continuous gravitational waves emitted by neutron stars in binary systems in early data from the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors using the semicoherent, GPU-accelerated, binaryskyhough pipeline. The search analyzes the most sensitive frequency band of the LIGO detectors, 50–300 Hz. Binary orbital parameters are split into four regions, comprising orbital periods of three to 45 days and projected semimajor axes of two to 40 light seconds. No detections are reported. We estimate the sensitivity of the search using simulated continuous wave signals, achieving the most sensitive results to date across the analyzed parameter space.5 MoreReceived 23 December 2020Accepted 3 February 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.103.064017© 2021 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasGravitational wave detectionGravitational wave sourcesGravitational wavesPhysical SystemsBinary starsNeutron stars & pulsarsGravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

Unveiling Sub-pc Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates in Active Galactic Nuclei

Abstract The elusive supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) are thought to be the penultimate stage of galaxy mergers, preceding a final coalescence phase. SMBHBs are sources of continuous gravitational waves, possibly detectable by pulsar timing arrays; the identification of candidates could help in performing targeted gravitational wave searches. Due to SMBHBs’ origin in the innermost parts of active galactic nuclei (AGN), X-rays are a promising tool for unveiling their presence, by means of either double Fe Kα emission lines or periodicity in their light curve. Here we report on a new method for selecting SMBHBs by means of the presence of a periodic signal in their Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) 105 month light curves. Our technique is based on Fisher’s exact g-test and takes into account the possible presence of colored noise. Among the 553 AGN selected for our investigation, only the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Mrk 915 emerges as a candidate SMBHB; from subsequent analysis of its light curve we find a period P 0 = 35 ± 2 months, and the null hypothesis is rejected at the 3.7σ confidence level. We also present a detailed analysis of the BAT light curve of the only previously X-ray-selected binary candidate source in the literature, the Seyfert 2 galaxy MCG+11-11-032. We find P 0 = 26.3 ± 0.6 months, consistent with the one inferred from previously reported double Fe Kα emission lines.

Gravitational waves from non-radial perturbations in neutron stars

In the present work, we explore the Rossby mode perturbations in case of neutron stars as sources of continuous gravitational waves. The intensity and time evolution of the emitted gravitational waves in terms of the amplitude of the strain tensor are estimated in the slow rotation approximation using β-equilibrated neutron star matter obtained from density dependent M3Y effective interaction. For a wide range of neutron star masses, the fiducial gravitational and various viscous time scales, the critical frequencies and the time evolutions of the frequencies are calculated. Unlike other non-radial perturbations, amplitude of Rossby mode perturbation increases due to the emission of gravitational waves which carry angular momentum of the star to infinity. Hence, existence of such perturbation in a star implies a positive rate of change in the angular momentum transfer. It, therefore, implies that for a particular neutron star, the intensity of gravitational wave emission increases with time until the angular frequency reduces down to a critical value below which the star stops emitting radiation.

Eclipses of continuous gravitational waves as a probe of stellar structure

Although gravitational waves only interact weakly with matter, their propagation is affected by a gravitational potential. If a gravitational wave source is eclipsed by a star, measuring these perturbations provides a way to directly measure the distribution of mass throughout the stellar interior. We compute the expected Shapiro time delay, amplification and deflection during an eclipse, and show how this can be used to infer the mass distribution of the eclipsing body. We identify continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars as the best candidates to detect this effect. When the Sun eclipses a far-away source, depending on the depth of the eclipse the time-delay can change by up to $\sim 0.034$ ms, the gravitational-wave strain amplitude can increase by $\sim 4$%, and the apparent position of the source in the sky can vary by $4''$. Accreting neutron stars with Roche-lobe filling companion stars have a high probability of exhibiting eclipses, producing similar time delays but undetectable changes in amplitude and sky location. Even for the most rapidly rotating neutron stars, this time delay only corresponds to a few percent of the phase of the gravitational wave, making it an extremely challenging measurement. However, if sources of continuous gravitational waves exist just below the limit of detection of current observatories, next-generation instruments will be able to observe them with enough precision to measure the signal of an eclipsing star. Detecting this effect would provide a new direct probe to the interior of stars, complementing asteroseismology and the detection of solar neutrinos.

Narrow-band search for gravitational waves from known pulsars using the second LIGO observing run

Isolated spinning neutron stars, asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis, are expected to be sources of continuous gravitational waves. The most sensitive searches for these sources are based on accurate matched filtering techniques, that assume the continuous wave to be phase-locked with the pulsar beamed emission. While matched filtering maximizes the search sensitivity, a significant signal-to-noise ratio loss will happen in case of a mismatch between the assumed and the true signal phase evolution. Narrow-band algorithms allow for a small mismatch in the frequency and spin-down values of the pulsar while integrating coherently the entire data set. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search using LIGO O2 data for the continuous wave emission of 33 pulsars. No evidence for a continuous wave signal has been found and upper-limits on the gravitational wave amplitude, over the analyzed frequency and spin-down volume, have been computed for each of the targets. In this search we have surpassed the spin-down limit for some of the pulsars already present in the O1 LIGO narrow-band search, such as J1400\textminus6325 J1813\textminus1246, J1833\textminus1034, J1952+3252, and for new targets such as J0940\textminus5428 and J1747\textminus2809. For J1400\textminus6325, J1833\textminus1034 and J1747\textminus2809 this is the first time the spin-down limit is surpassed.

Optimizing the choice of analysis method for all-sky searches for continuous gravitational waves with Einstein@Home

Rapidly rotating neutron stars are promising sources of continuous gravitational waves for the LIGO and Virgo observatories. The majority of neutron stars in our galaxy have not been identified with electromagnetic observations. Blind all-sky searches offer the potential to detect gravitational waves from these unidentified sources. The parameter space of these searches presents a significant computational challenge. Various methods have been designed to perform these searches with available computing resources. Recently, a method called Weave has been proposed to achieve template placement with a minimal number of templates. We employ a mock data challenge to assess the ability of this method to recover signals, and compare its sensitivity with that of the global correlation transform method (GCT), which has been used for searches with the Einstein@Home volunteer computing project for a number of years. We find that the Weave method is 14% more sensitive for an all-sky search on Einstein@Home, with a sensitivity depth of $57.9\pm0.6$ 1/$\sqrt{Hz}$ at 90% detection efficiency, compared to $50.8^{+0.7}_{-1.1}$ 1/$\sqrt{Hz}$ for GCT. This corresponds to a 50% increase in the volume of sky where we are sensitive with the Weave search. We also find that the Weave search recovers candidates closer to the true signal position. In the search studied here the improvement in candidate localisation would lead to a factor of 70 reduction in the computing cost required to follow up the same number of candidates. We assess the feasability of deploying the search on Einstein@Home, and find that Weave requires more memory than is typically available on a volunteer computer. We conclude that, while GCT remains the best choice for deployment on Einstein@Home due to its lower memory requirements, Weave presents significant advantages for the subsequent hierarchical follow-up of interesting candidates.

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, {\it narrow-band} analyses methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of eleven pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO's first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched: in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far.

Magnetic-distortion-induced Ellipticity and Gravitational Wave Radiation of Neutron Stars: Millisecond Magnetars in Short GRBs, Galactic Pulsars, and Magnetars

Abstract Neutron stars may sustain a non-axisymmetric deformation due to magnetic distortion and are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves (GWs) for ground-based interferometric detectors. With decades of searches using available GW detectors, no evidence of a GW signal from any pulsar has been observed. Progressively stringent upper limits of ellipticity have been placed on Galactic pulsars. In this work, we use the ellipticity inferred from the putative millisecond magnetars in short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) to estimate their detectability by current and future GW detectors. For ∼1 ms magnetars inferred from the SGRB data, the detection horizon is ∼30 Mpc and ∼600 Mpc for the advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and Einstein Telescope (ET), respectively. Using the ellipticity of SGRB millisecond magnetars as calibration, we estimate the ellipticity and GW strain of Galactic pulsars and magnetars assuming that the ellipticity is magnetic-distortion-induced. We find that the results are consistent with the null detection results of Galactic pulsars and magnetars with the aLIGO O1. We further predict that the GW signals from these pulsars/magnetars may not be detectable by the currently designed aLIGO detector. The ET detector may be able to detect some relatively low-frequency signals (<50 Hz) from some of these pulsars. Limited by its design sensitivity, the eLISA detector seems to not be suitable for detecting the signals from Galactic pulsars and magnetars.

PRACTICAL METHODS FOR CONTINUOUS GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTION USING PULSAR TIMING DATA

Gravitational Waves (GWs) are tiny ripples in the fabric of space-time predicted by Einstein's General Relativity. Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are well poised to detect low frequency ($10^{-9}$ -- $10^{-7}$ Hz) GWs in the near future. There has been a significant amount of research into the detection of a stochastic background of GWs from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs). Recent work has shown that single continuous sources standing out above the background may be detectable by PTAs operating at a sensitivity sufficient to detect the stochastic background. The most likely sources of continuous GWs in the pulsar timing frequency band are extremely massive and/or nearby SMBHBs. In this paper we present detection strategies including various forms of matched filtering and power spectral summing. We determine the efficacy and computational cost of such strategies. It is shown that it is computationally infeasible to use an optimal matched filter including the poorly constrained pulsar distances with a grid based method. We show that an Earth-term-matched filter constructed using only the correlated signal terms is both computationally viable and highly sensitive to GW signals. This technique is only a factor of two less sensitive than the computationally unrealizable optimal matched filter and a factor of two more sensitive than a power spectral summing technique. We further show that a pairwise matched filter, taking the pulsar distances into account is comparable to the optimal matched filter for the single template case and comparable to the Earth-term-matched filter for many search templates. Finally, using simulated data optimal quality, we place a theoretical minimum detectable strain amplitude of $h>2\times 10^{-15}$ from continuous GWs at frequencies on the order $\sim1/T_{\rm obs}$.

Parameter-space metric of semicoherent searches for continuous gravitational waves

Continuous gravitational-wave (CW) signals such as emitted by spinning neutron stars are an important target class for current detectors. However, the enormous computational demand prohibits fully coherent broadband all-sky searches for prior unknown CW sources over wide ranges of parameter space and for yearlong observation times. More efficient hierarchical "semicoherent" search strategies divide the data into segments much shorter than one year, which are analyzed coherently; then detection statistics from different segments are combined incoherently. To optimally perform the incoherent combination, understanding of the underlying parameter-space structure is requisite. This problem is addressed here by using new coordinates on the parameter space, which yield the first analytical parameter-space metric for the incoherent combination step. This semicoherent metric applies to broadband all-sky surveys (also embedding directed searches at fixed sky position) for isolated CW sources. Furthermore, the additional metric resolution attained through the combination of segments is studied. From the search parameters (sky position, frequency, and frequency derivatives), solely the metric resolution in the frequency derivatives is found to significantly increase with the number of segments.

Exploiting Large-Scale Correlations to Detect Continuous Gravitational Waves

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.

Searching for gravitational waves from rotating neutron stars

Rotating neutron stars are one of the important sources of gravitational waves (GW) for the ground based as well as space based detectors. Since the waves are emitted continuously, the source is termed as a continuous gravitational wave (CGW) source. The expected weakness of the signal requires long integration times (∼year). The data analysis problem involves tracking the phase coherently over such large integration times, which makes it the most computationally intensive problem among all GW sources envisaged. In this article, the general problem of data analysis is discussed, and more so, in the context of searching for CGW sources orbiting another companion object. The problem is important because there are several pulsars, which could be deemed to be CGW sources orbiting another companion star. Differential geometric techniques for data analysis are described and used to obtain computational costs. These results are applied to known systems to assess whether such systems are detectable with current (or near future) computing resources.