Searches for Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars at Two Harmonics in 2015-2017 LIGO Data

Understand

We present a search for gravitational waves from 221 pulsars with rotation frequencies $\gtrsim 10$ Hz.

• We use advanced LIGO data from its first and second observing runs spanning 2015-2017, which provides the highest-sensitivity gravitational-wave data so far obtained.
• In this search we target emission from both the $l = m = 2$ mass quadrupole mode, with a frequency at twice that of the pulsar's rotation, and from the $l = 2$, $m = 1$ mode, with a frequency at the pulsar rotation frequency.
• The search finds no evidence for gravitational-wave emission from any pulsar at either frequency.