Model-based Cross-correlation Search for Gravitational Waves from the Low-mass X-Ray Binary Scorpius X-1 in LIGO O3 Data

authored by

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration , the KAGRA Collaboration , The Virgo Collaboration , R. Abbott, H. Abe, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, S. Adhicary, N. Adhikari, R. X. Adhikari, V. K. Adkins, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, D. Agarwal, M. Agathos, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, T. Akutsu, S. Albanesi, R. A. Alfaidi, C. Alléné, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, S. Anand, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, M. Ando, T. Andrade, S. Bose, M. Carlassara, R. K. Choudhary, S. Danilishin, K. Danzmann, S. K. Gupta, A. Heidt, M. Heurs, A. Hreibi, N. Johny, J. Junker, N. Knust, R. V. Kossak, H. Lück, M. Matiushechkina, B. W. Schulte, H. Vahlbruch, D. Wilken, B. Willke, D. S. Wu, R. Zhang, Fabio Bergamin, Aparna Bisht, Nina Bode, Phillip Booker, Marc Brinkmann, C. García-Quirós, J. Heinze, S. Hochheim, Wolfgang Kastaun, R. Kirchhoff, Philip Koch, S. M. Köhlenbeck, S. Luise Kranzhoff, Volker Kringel, G. Kuehn, S. Leavey, J. Lehmann, James Lough, Moritz Mehmet, Nikhil Mukund, S. L. Nadji, F. Ohme, M. Schneewind, B. F. Schutz, J. Venneberg, J. von Wrangel, Michael Weinert, F. Wellmann, Peter Weßels, J. Woehler

Abstract

We present the results of a model-based search for continuous gravitational waves from the low-mass X-ray binary Scorpius X-1 using LIGO detector data from the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. This is a semicoherent search that uses details of the signal model to coherently combine data separated by less than a specified coherence time, which can be adjusted to balance sensitivity with computing cost. The search covered a range of gravitational-wave frequencies from 25 to 1600 Hz, as well as ranges in orbital speed, frequency, and phase determined from observational constraints. No significant detection candidates were found, and upper limits were set as a function of frequency. The most stringent limits, between 100 and 200 Hz, correspond to an amplitude h₀ of about 10⁻²⁵ when marginalized isotropically over the unknown inclination angle of the neutron star's rotation axis, or less than 4 × 10⁻²⁶ assuming the optimal orientation. The sensitivity of this search is now probing amplitudes predicted by models of torque balance equilibrium. For the usual conservative model assuming accretion at the surface of the neutron star, our isotropically marginalized upper limits are close to the predicted amplitude from about 70 to 100 Hz; the limits assuming that the neutron star spin is aligned with the most likely orbital angular momentum are below the conservative torque balance predictions from 40 to 200 Hz. Assuming a broader range of accretion models, our direct limits on gravitational-wave amplitude delve into the relevant parameter space over a wide range of frequencies, to 500 Hz or more.

Organisation(s)

QuantumFrontiers
Institute of Gravitation Physics
Production in Space
PhoenixD: Photonics, Optics, and Engineering - Innovation Across Disciplines

External Organisation(s)

California Institute of Caltech (Caltech)
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Universita di Salerno
Monte S. Angelo University Federico II
Monash University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Louisiana State University
Australian National University
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
University of Cambridge
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Sezione di Pisa
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR HYD)
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
University of Turin
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
Universite de Savoie
University of Tokyo
Universitat de Barcelona
University of Western Australia
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
University of Florida
University of the Balearic Islands
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
Cardiff University
University of Glasgow
Maastricht University
National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef)

Type

Article

Journal

Astrophysical Journal Letters

Volume

941

ISSN

2041-8205

Publication date

16.12.2022

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aca1b0 (Access: Open)