From one to many: A deep learning coincident gravitational-wave search

Gravitational waves from the coalescence of compact-binary sources are now routinely observed by Earth bound detectors. The most sensitive search algorithms convolve many different precalculated gravitational waveforms with the detector data and look for coincident matches between different detectors. Machine learning is being explored as an alternative approach to building a search algorithm that has the prospect to reduce computational costs and target more complex signals. In this work we construct a two-detector search for gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers using neural networks trained on nonspinning binary black hole data from a single detector. The network is applied to the data from both observatories independently and we check for events coincident in time between the two. This enables the efficient analysis of large quantities of background data by time-shifting the independent detector data. We find that while for a single detector the network retains 91.5% of the sensitivity matched filtering can achieve, this number drops to 83.9% for two observatories. To enable the network to check for signal consistency in the detectors, we then construct a set of simple networks that operate directly on data from both detectors. We find that none of these simple two-detector networks are capable of improving the sensitivity over applying networks individually to the data from the detectors and searching for time coincidences.

Automated summary

This study explores the use of machine learning to improve the detection of gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers. The researchers construct a two-detector search algorithm using neural networks trained on data from a single detector. They find that applying the networks individually to the data from the detectors and searching for time coincidences is more effective than using simple two-detector networks.