Automated Evaluation of Environmental Coupling for Advanced LIGO Gravitational Wave Detections

Understand

The extreme sensitivity required for direct observation of gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO detectors means that environmental noise is increasingly likely to contaminate Advanced LIGO gravitational wave signals if left unaddressed.

• Consequently, environmental monitoring efforts have been undertaken and novel noise mitigation techniques have been developed which have reduced environmental coupling and made it possible to analyze environmental artifacts with potential to affect the 90 gravitational wave events detected from 2015-2020 by the Advanced LIGO detectors.
• So far, there is no evidence for environmental contamination in gravitational wave detections.
• However, automated, rapid ways to monitor and assess the degree of environmental coupling between gravitational wave detectors and their surroundings are needed as the rate of detections continues to increase.