Reconstruction of the gravitational wave signal $h(t)$ during the Virgo science runs and independent validation with a photon calibrator

Abstract

The Virgo detector is a kilometer-scale interferometer for gravitational wave detection located near Pisa (Italy). About 13 months of data were accumulated during four science runs (VSR1, VSR2, VSR3 and VSR4) between May 2007 and September 2011, with increasing sensitivity. In this paper, the method used to reconstruct, in the range 10 Hz-10 kHz, the gravitational wave strain time series $h(t)$ from the detector signals is described. The standard consistency checks of the reconstruction are discussed and used to estimate the systematic uncertainties of the $h(t)$ signal as a function of frequency. Finally, an independent setup, the photon calibrator, is described and used to validate the reconstructed $h(t)$ signal and the associated uncertainties. The uncertainties of the $h(t)$ time series are estimated to be 8% in amplitude. The uncertainty of the phase of $h(t)$ is 50 mrad at 10 Hz with a frequency dependence following a delay of 8 $\mu$s at high frequency. A bias lower than $4\mu \mathrm{s}$ and depending on the sky direction of the GW is also present.

35 pages, 16 figures. Accepted by CQG

References in corpus (4)

• LIGO: The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory
• Calibration and sensitivity of the Virgo detector during its second science run
• High-frequency corrections to the detector response and their effect on searches for gravitational waves
• Photon pressure induced test mass deformation in gravitational-wave detectors

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Advanced Virgo: a 2nd generation interferometric gravitational wave detector
• GW170814: A Three-Detector Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Coalescence
• Open data from the first and second observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo
• The Advanced LIGO Photon Calibrators
• Searches for continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars: A twenty-year retrospective
• Calibration of Advanced Virgo and Reconstruction of the Gravitational Wave Signal h(t) during the Observing Run O2
• Calibration of Advanced Virgo and reconstruction of detector strain h(t) during the Observing Run O3
• Effects of calibration uncertainties on the detection and parameter estimation of isotropic gravitational-wave backgrounds