Abstract
Whereas the challenge to detect the elusive gravitational-wave signal drives the technological design of laser-interferometer gravitational-wave detectors, the identification and characterization of astrophysical sources emitting the gravitational-wave signals require a global network of gravitational-wave detectors. Using the simultaneous observations of a network of detectors has strong scientific motivations: (i) to increase the detection confidence of weak and rare gravitational-wave signals expected to be associated with highly energetic astrophysical phenomena, (ii) to improve signal/source reconstruction and then provide an accurate estimate of the source parameters, and (iii) to enable gravitational waves to be part of the multi-messenger observations of the Universe. It was, indeed, the network of the LIGO interferometers that detected and characterized the first gravitational-wave signals coming from binary black-hole mergers [Abbott et al. (2016c, e, 2017c, d)], opening a new channel for the exploration of the Universe. It was also the network of the LIGO and Virgo interferometers that detected and characterized the first gravitational-wave signal coming from a binary neutron star coalescence [Abbott et al. (2017f)], starting the era of multi-messenger astronomy including gravitational waves [Abbott et al. (2017g)]. This chapter focuses on the importance of a network of gravitational-wave detectors for gravitational-wave detection, gravitational-wave astrophysics and multi-messenger astronomy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Advanced Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Detectors |
Subtitle of host publication | In 2 Volumes |
Publisher | World Scientific Publishing Co. |
Pages | 185-196 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Volume | 1 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9789813146082 |
ISBN (Print) | 9789813146075 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy