Improvements in Gravitational-Wave Sky Localization with Expanded Networks of Interferometers [HEAP]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1801.02674


A milestone of multi-messenger astronomy has been achieved with the detection of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger accompanied by observations of several associated electromagnetic counterparts. Joint observations can reveal details of the engines that drive the electromagnetic and gravitational-wave emission. However, locating and identify an electromagnetic counterparts to a gravitational-wave event is heavily reliant on localization of the source through gravitational-wave information. We explore the sky localization of a simulated set of neutron star mergers as the worldwide network of gravitational-wave detectors evolves through the next decade, performing the first such study for neutron star — black hole binary sources. Currently, three detectors are observing with additional detectors in Japan and India expected to become operational in the coming years. With three detectors, we recover a median neutron star — black hole binary sky localization of 60 deg$^2$ at the 90\% credible level. As all five detectors become operational, sources can be localized to a median of 11 deg$^2$ on the sky.

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C. Pankow, E. Chase, S. Coughlin, et. al.
Wed, 10 Jan 18
12/65

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJL