Aaron Viets, PhD Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Optimizing Advanced LIGO’s Scientific Output with Fast, Accurate, Clean Calibration

Fast, accurate calibration of Advanced LIGO data is an essential part of gravitational-wave astronomy, necessary for prompt electromagnetic follow-up of gravitational-wave events and reliable estimation of source parameters.

I will discuss methods used in both low and high latency to produce the calibrated strain signal h(t). I will highlight recent improvements that have been made to improve the calibration process during and after the second observing run. These include the application of frequency-dependent corrections to the calibration using adaptive filters, reduction in calibration latency, and the subtraction of excess noise from h(t) in low latency.

Event flyer available here.