arXiv subjects

R. Buscicchio

Publications and source records attributed to R. Buscicchio.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Advanced Virgo Plus for O5 -- Design Report Overview

This document presents an overview of the design, implementation, and expected performance of the Advanced Virgo Plus (AdV+) upgrades in view of the O5 observing run. Following the experience gained during the O4 commissioning and operations, the Virgo Collaboration has revised the upgrade strategy to address limitations associated with marginally stable recycling cavities. The O5 upgrade program combines elements from the original AdV+ Phase II project with new design solutions, including the implementation of stable recycling cavities, a major modification to the central interferometer layout, and a comprehensive renewal of critical subsystems. The planned upgrades are organized in two steps, targeting progressive improvements in operational stability, noise reduction, and detector sensitivity. Key developments include new vacuum infrastructures, suspensions, mirrors, optical configurations, quantum noise reduction systems, and high-power laser technologies. The resulting configuration is expected to significantly enhance the interferometer performance, enabling a substantial increase in astrophysical reach and scientific return during O5.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

ESO Expanding Horizons White Paper: Electromagnetic counterparts of massive BH mergers with LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), adopted by ESA and scheduled for the second half of the next decade, will drive a new revolution in the rapidly growing field of gravitational-wave astronomy, by extending GW observations into the hiterto unexplored millihertz regime. One of the key source classes of LISA is merging massive black hole binaries in the 1e4-1e7 Msun mass range detectable to very high redshifts $z\sim 15$. MBHBs lighter than 1e6 Msun can potentially be identified during their inspiral weeks before coalescence, allowing for complementary electromagnetic observations before, during, and after the two MBHs merge. This white paper aims at defining the optimal strategy to maximize the number of detected EM counterparts of LISA MBHB events.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Stellar-mass black-hole binaries in LISA: characteristics and complementarity with current-generation interferometers

Stellar-mass black-hole binaries are the most numerous gravitational-wave sources observed to date. Their properties make them suitable for observation both by ground- and space-based detectors. Starting from synthetic catalogues constructed based on observational constraints from ground-based detectors, we explore the detection rates and the characteristic parameters of the stellar-mass black-hole binaries observable by LISA during their inspiral, using signal-to-noise ratio thresholds as a detection criterion. We find that only a handful of these sources will be detectable with signal-to-noise ratio larger than 8: about 5 sources on average in 4 years of mission duration, among which only one or two are multiband ones (i.e. merging in less than 15 years). We find that detectable sources have chirp mass $10 M_\odot<M_c<100 M_\odot$, residual time-to-coalescence $4yr<t_c<100yr$, and redshift $z<0.1$, much closer than those observed up to now by ground-based detectors. We also explore correlations between the number of LISA detectable sources and the parameters of the population, suggesting that a joint measurement with the stochastic signal might be informative of the population characteristics. By performing parameter estimation on a subset of sources from the catalogues, we conclude that, even if LISA measurements will not be directly informative on the population due to the low number of resolvable sources, it will characterise a few, low-redshift candidates with great precision. Furthermore, we construct for the first time the LISA waterfall plot for low chirp-mass systems, as a function of their time to coalescence and inclination. We demonstrate that LISA will also be able to discriminate and characterize, through very precise parameter estimation, a population of binaries with higher masses, $M_c\sim O(10^3)M_\odot$, at the boundary of ground-based detectors sensitivity.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

An Interactive Gravitational-Wave Detector Model for Museums and Fairs

In 2015 the first observation of gravitational waves marked a breakthrough in astrophysics, and in technological research and development. The discovery of a gravitational-wave signal from the collision of two black holes, a billion light-years away, received considerable interest from the media and public. We describe the development of a purpose-built exhibit explaining this new area of research to a general audience. The core element of the exhibit is a working Michelson interferometer: a scaled-down version of the key technology used in gravitational-wave detectors. The Michelson interferometer is integrated into a hands-on exhibit, which allows for user interaction and simulated gravitational-wave observations. An interactive display provides a self-guided explanation of gravitational-wave-related topics through video, animation, images and text. We detail the hardware and software used to create the exhibit and discuss two installation variants: an independent learning experience in a museum setting (the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum), and a science-festival with the presence of expert guides (the 2017 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition). We assess audience reception in these two settings, describe the improvements we have made given this information, and discuss future public-engagement projects resulting from this work. The exhibit is found to be effective in communicating the new and unfamiliar field of gravitational-wave research to general audiences. An accompanying website provides parts lists and information for others to build their own version of this exhibit.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2020

Populations of double white dwarfs in Milky Way satellites and their detectability with LISA

Milky Way dwarf satellites are unique objects that encode the early structure formation and therefore represent a window into the high redshift Universe. So far, their study was conducted using electromagnetic waves only. The future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has the potential to reveal Milky Way satellites in gravitational waves emitted by double white dwarf (DWD) binaries. We investigate gravitational wave (GW) signals detectable by LISA as a possible tool for the identification and characterisation of the Milky Way satellites. We use the binary population synthesis technique to model the population of DWDs in dwarf satellites and we assess the impact on the number of LISA detections when making changes to the total stellar mass, distance, star formation history and metallicity of satellites. We calibrate predictions for the known Milky Way satellites on their observed properties. We find that DWDs emitting at frequencies $\gtrsim 3\,$mHz can be detected in Milky Way satellites at large galactocentric distances. The number of these high frequency DWDs per satellite primarily depends on its mass, distance, age and star formation history, and only mildly depends on the other assumptions regarding their evolution such as metallicity. We find that dwarf galaxies with $M_\star>10^6\,$M$_{\odot}$ can host detectable LISA sources with a number of detections that scales linearly with the satellite's mass. We forecast that out of the known satellites, Sagittarius, Fornax, Sculptor and the Magellanic Clouds can be detected with LISA. As an all-sky survey that does not suffer from contamination and dust extinction, LISA will provide observations of the Milky Way and dwarf satellites galaxies valuable for Galactic archaeology and near-field cosmology.

astro-ph.GA↗