https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2018-12048-4
Regular Article
Using weighting algorithms to refine source direction determinations in all-sky gravitational wave burst searches with two-detector networks
Weinberg Theory Group, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
* e-mail: tjamcclain2@gmail.com
Received:
18
December
2017
Accepted:
2
May
2018
Published online:
4
June
2018
I explore the possibility of resurrecting an old, non-Bayesian computational approach for inferring the source direction of a gravitational wave from the output of a two-detector network. The method gives the beam pattern response functions and time delay, and performs well even in the presence of noise and unexpected signal forms. I further suggest an improvement to this method in the form of a weighting algorithm that usefully improves its accuracy beyond what can be achieved with simple best-fit methods, validating the new procedure with several small-scale simulations. The approach is identified as complementary to --rather than in competition with-- the now-standard Bayesian approach typically used by the LIGO network in parameter determination. Finally, I briefly discuss the possible applications of this method in the world of three-or-more-detector networks and some directions for future work.
© Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature, 2018
