GW150914: The Advanced LIGO Detectors in the Era of First Discoveries

Abbott, B. P. and Abbott, R. and Abbott, T. D. and Abernathy, M. R. and Acernese, F. and Barta, Dániel and Bojtos, István Péter and Debreczeni, Gergely and Frei, Zsolt and Gergely, Árpád László and Gondán, László and Raffai, Péter and Tápai, Márton and Vasúth, Mátyás Zsolt (2016) GW150914: The Advanced LIGO Detectors in the Era of First Discoveries. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 116 (13). ISSN 0031-9007

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Abstract

Following a major upgrade, the two advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational- wave Observatory (LIGO) held their first observation run between September 2015 and January 2016. With a strain sensitivity of 10−23/√Hz at 100 Hz, the product of observable volume and mea- surement time exceeded that of all previous runs within the first 16 days of coincident observation. On September 14th, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed a transient gravitational-wave signal determined to be the coalescence of two black holes [1], launching the era of gravitational- wave astronomy. The event, GW150914, was observed with a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 24 in coincidence by the two detectors. Here we present the main features of the detectors that enabled this observation. At full sensitivity, the Advanced LIGO detectors are designed to deliver another factor of three improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for binary black hole systems similar in masses to GW150914.

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