Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 164002 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Classical and Quantum Gravity |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Jul 2017 |
Keywords
- data analysis
- gravitational waves
- magnetars
Cite this
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Exploring a search for long-duration transient gravitational waves associated with magnetar bursts. / Quitzow-James, Ryan; Brau, James E; Clark, James A.; Coughlin, Michael W; Coughlin, Scott B; Frey, Raymond; Schale, Paul; Talukder, Dipongkar; Thrane, Eric.
In: Classical and Quantum Gravity, Vol. 34, No. 16, 164002, 20.07.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring a search for long-duration transient gravitational waves associated with magnetar bursts
AU - Quitzow-James, Ryan
AU - Brau, James E
AU - Clark, James A.
AU - Coughlin, Michael W
AU - Coughlin, Scott B
AU - Frey, Raymond
AU - Schale, Paul
AU - Talukder, Dipongkar
AU - Thrane, Eric
PY - 2017/7/20
Y1 - 2017/7/20
N2 - Soft gamma repeaters and anomalous x-ray pulsars are thought to be magnetars, neutron stars with strong magnetic fields of order $ \newcommand{\unsim}{\mathord{\sim}} \unsim$ $ 10^{13}$ –$ \newcommand{\gauss}{{\rm gauss}} 10^{15} \gauss$ . These objects emit intermittent bursts of hard x-rays and soft gamma rays. Quasiperiodic oscillations in the x-ray tails of giant flares imply the existence of neutron star oscillation modes which could emit gravitational waves powered by the magnetar's magnetic energy reservoir. We describe a method to search for transient gravitational-wave signals associated with magnetar bursts with durations of 10 s to 1000 s of seconds. The sensitivity of this method is estimated by adding simulated waveforms to data from the sixth science run of Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). We find a search sensitivity in terms of the root sum square strain amplitude of $ \newcommand{\hertz}{{\rm Hz}} \newcommand{\hrss}{h_{\rm rss}} \newcommand{\h}{\mathfrak{h}} \hrss = 1.3 \times 10^{-21}~\hertz^{-1/2}$ for a half sine-Gaussian waveform with a central frequency $f_0 = 150$ Hz and a characteristic time $\tau = 400$ s. This corresponds to a gravitational wave energy of $ \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EGW}{E_{\rm GW}} \EGW = 4.3 \times 10^{46}~{\rm \ergs}$ , the same order of magnitude as the 2004 giant flare which had an estimated electromagnetic energy of $ \newcommand{\unsim}{\mathord{\sim}} \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EEM}{E_{\rm EM}} \newcommand{\h}{\mathfrak{h}} \EEM = \unsim 1.7 \times 10^{46} (d/ 8.7~{\rm kpc}){\hspace{0pt}}^2~{\rm \ergs}$ , where d is the distance to SGR 1806-20. We present an extrapolation of these results to Advanced LIGO, estimating a sensitivity to a gravitational wave energy of $ \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EGW}{E_{\rm GW}} \newcommand{\bestUL}{4.3 \times 10^{46}} \newcommand{\bestULaLIGO}{9.0 \times 10^{44}} \newcommand{\bestULaLIGOclose}{3.2 \times 10^{43}} \EGW = \bestULaLIGOclose~{\rm \ergs}$ for a magnetar at a distance of $1.6$ kpc. These results suggest this search method can probe significantly below the energy budgets for magnetar burst emission mechanisms such as crust cracking and hydrodynamic deformation.
AB - Soft gamma repeaters and anomalous x-ray pulsars are thought to be magnetars, neutron stars with strong magnetic fields of order $ \newcommand{\unsim}{\mathord{\sim}} \unsim$ $ 10^{13}$ –$ \newcommand{\gauss}{{\rm gauss}} 10^{15} \gauss$ . These objects emit intermittent bursts of hard x-rays and soft gamma rays. Quasiperiodic oscillations in the x-ray tails of giant flares imply the existence of neutron star oscillation modes which could emit gravitational waves powered by the magnetar's magnetic energy reservoir. We describe a method to search for transient gravitational-wave signals associated with magnetar bursts with durations of 10 s to 1000 s of seconds. The sensitivity of this method is estimated by adding simulated waveforms to data from the sixth science run of Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). We find a search sensitivity in terms of the root sum square strain amplitude of $ \newcommand{\hertz}{{\rm Hz}} \newcommand{\hrss}{h_{\rm rss}} \newcommand{\h}{\mathfrak{h}} \hrss = 1.3 \times 10^{-21}~\hertz^{-1/2}$ for a half sine-Gaussian waveform with a central frequency $f_0 = 150$ Hz and a characteristic time $\tau = 400$ s. This corresponds to a gravitational wave energy of $ \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EGW}{E_{\rm GW}} \EGW = 4.3 \times 10^{46}~{\rm \ergs}$ , the same order of magnitude as the 2004 giant flare which had an estimated electromagnetic energy of $ \newcommand{\unsim}{\mathord{\sim}} \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EEM}{E_{\rm EM}} \newcommand{\h}{\mathfrak{h}} \EEM = \unsim 1.7 \times 10^{46} (d/ 8.7~{\rm kpc}){\hspace{0pt}}^2~{\rm \ergs}$ , where d is the distance to SGR 1806-20. We present an extrapolation of these results to Advanced LIGO, estimating a sensitivity to a gravitational wave energy of $ \newcommand{\erg}{{\rm erg}} \newcommand{\ergs}{\erg} \newcommand{\EGW}{E_{\rm GW}} \newcommand{\bestUL}{4.3 \times 10^{46}} \newcommand{\bestULaLIGO}{9.0 \times 10^{44}} \newcommand{\bestULaLIGOclose}{3.2 \times 10^{43}} \EGW = \bestULaLIGOclose~{\rm \ergs}$ for a magnetar at a distance of $1.6$ kpc. These results suggest this search method can probe significantly below the energy budgets for magnetar burst emission mechanisms such as crust cracking and hydrodynamic deformation.
KW - data analysis
KW - gravitational waves
KW - magnetars
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026823151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1361-6382/aa7d5b
DO - 10.1088/1361-6382/aa7d5b
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85026823151
VL - 34
JO - Classical and Quantum Gravity
JF - Classical and Quantum Gravity
SN - 0264-9381
IS - 16
M1 - 164002
ER -