Lessons learned in the gravitational-wave searches for compact binary coalescences

Sarah Caudill (Nikhef)

April 19, 2018

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Abstract: The recent detections of gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers and a neutron star merger has ushered in the era of gravitational-wave and multi- messenger astronomy. Using sophisticated data analysis techniques, these chirp signals were extracted from LIGO and Virgo detector data and clearly distinguished from non-Gaussian noise transients. But these detections were not without their challenges. I will highlight the lessons learned in the first and second observing runs and how these are informing our search design for the upcoming third LIGO-Virgo observation run.