arXiv subjects

Gabriela Gonzalez

Publications and source records attributed to Gabriela Gonzalez.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

ArchGEM: an Advanced Data Analysis Tool for Analyzing Scattered Light Noise in LIGO

Scattered light is one of the most common sources of non-stationary noise at low frequencies in Advanced LIGO detectors. It appears as arch-like features in time-frequency spectrograms, produced when stray light reflects from moving surfaces and recombines with the main interferometer beam. In this study, we present ArchGEM, an automated framework for identifying and characterizing these arches and recovering the physical properties of the scattering surfaces. ArchGEM combines a prominence-based peak-finding method with a Gaussian Mixture Model clustering approach to capture a range of scattered-light morphologies across different detector conditions. We apply ArchGEM to scattered light glitches across Advanced LIGO observing runs O3 (2019--2020) and O4 (2023--2024). We find that the average frequency distributions of this noise span 15--25 Hz in O3a and O4, but increase to 20--40 Hz during O3b. Typical inferred surface velocities are 0.2--0.5 $\mu$m/s, and inferred surface displacements are 0.1--0.3 $\mu$m. The Gaussian Mixture Model performs most consistently for complex or overlapping features, with mean frequency offsets within 5 Hz of the Gravity Spy baseline. Our results show that ArchGEM provides a practical tool for detector characterization by linking observed spectrogram features to the motion of scattering surfaces and helping guide future mitigation of scattered light noise in current and next-generation interferometers. By quantifying the temporal and spectral behavior of scattered light, ArchGEM provides a robust framework for diagnosing noise sources and guiding targeted mitigation strategies in future detector upgrades.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Multidisciplinary Science in the Multimessenger Era

Astrophysical observations of the cosmos allow us to probe extreme physics and answer foundational questions on our universe. Modern astronomy is increasingly operating under a holistic approach, probing the same question with multiple diagnostics including how sources vary over time, how they appear across the electromagnetic spectrum, and through their other signatures, including gravitational waves, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and dust on Earth. Astrophysical observations are now reaching the point where approximate physics models are insufficient. Key sources of interest are explosive transients, whose understanding requires multidisciplinary studies at the intersection of astrophysics, gravity, nuclear science, plasma physics, fluid dynamics and turbulence, computation, particle physics, atomic, molecular, and optical science, condensed matter and materials science, radiation transport, and high energy density physics. This white paper provides an overview of the major scientific advances that lay at the intersection of physics and astronomy and are best probed through time-domain and multimessenger astrophysics, an exploration of how multidisciplinary science can be fostered, and introductory descriptions of the relevant scientific disciplines and key astrophysical sources of interest.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2008

Host Galaxies Catalog Used in LIGO Searches for Compact Binary Coalescence Events

An up-to-date catalog of nearby galaxies considered as hosts of binary compact objects is provided with complete information about sky position, distance, extinction-corrected blue luminosity and error estimates. With our current understanding of binary evolution, rates of formation and coalescence for binary compact objects scale with massive-star formation and hence the (extinction-corrected) blue luminosity of host galaxies. Coalescence events in binary compact objects are among the most promising gravitational-wave sources for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors such as LIGO. Our catalog and associated error estimates are important for the interpretation of analyses, carried out for LIGO, to constrain the rates of compact binary coalescence, given an astrophysical population model for the sources considered. We discuss how the notion of effective distance, created to account for the antenna pattern of a gravitational-wave detector, must be used in conjunction with our catalog. We note that the catalog provided can be used on other astronomical analysis of populations that scale with galaxy blue luminosity.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Searching for Gravitational Waves from Binary Inspirals with LIGO

We describe the current status of the search for gravitational waves from inspiralling compact binary systems in LIGO data. We review the result from the first scientific run of LIGO (S1). We present the goals of the search of data taken in the second scientific run (S2) and describe the differences between the methods used in S1 and S2.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

Limiting noises in gravitational wave detectors: guidance from their statistical properties

It is expected that interferometric gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO \cite{Barish99} will be eventually limited by fundamental noise sources like shot noise and Brownian motion, as well as by seismic noise. In the commissioning process, other technical noise sources (electronics noise, alignment fluctuations) limit the sensitivity and are eliminated one by one. We propose here a way to correlate the noise in the output of the gravitational wave detector with other detector and environmental signals not through their linear transfer functions (often unknown), but through their statistical properties. This could prove useful for identifying the frequency bands dominated by different noise sources in the final configuration, and also to help the commissioning process.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

Gravitational Wave Detectors: A report from LIGO-land

At the time of this conference, in June 2002, The LIGO Science Collaboration was getting ready to perform its first Science Run, where data will be taken with all three LIGO detectors. We describe here the status of the LIGO detectors as of February 2003, their performance during the ``Engineering Run'' E7 (Dec 28'01-Jan 14'02) and subsequent Science Runs in 2002/3. We also describe ongoing efforts on data analysis for setting upper limits of different gravitational wave sources.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2001

Angular Noise in Gravitational Wave Detectors

Angular fluctuations of suspended mirrors in gravitational wave interferometers are a source of noise both for the locking and the operation of the detectors. We describe here some of the sources of these fluctuations and methods for the estimation of their order of magnitude.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1999

Development of a Double Pendulum for Gravitational Wave Detectors

Seismic noise will be the dominant source of noise at low frequencies for ground based gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO now under construction. Future interferometers installed at LIGO plan to use at least a double pendulum suspension for the test masses to help filter the seismic noise. We are constructing an apparatus to use as a test bed for double pendulum design. Some of the tests we plan to conduct include: dynamic ranges of actuators, and how to split control between the intermediate mass and lower test mass; measurements of seismic transfer functions; measurements of actuator and mechanical cross couplings; and measurements of the noise from sensors and actuators. All these properties will be studied as a function of mechanical design of the double pendulum.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1994

Classical analysis of Bianchi types I and II in Ashtekar variables

We solve the complex Einstein equations for Bianchi I and II models formulated in the Ashtekar variables. We then solve the reality conditions to obtain a parametrization of the space of Lorentzian solutions in terms of real canonically conjugate variables. In the Ashtekar variables, the dynamics of the universe point particle is governed by only a curved supermetric -- there is no potential term. In the usual metric formulation the particle bounces off a potential wall in flat superspace. We consider possible characterizations of this ``bounce'' in the potential-free Ashtekar variables.

gr-qc↗