A Joint Fermi-GBM and LIGO/Virgo Analysis of Compact Binary Mergers from the First and Second Gravitational-wave Observing Runs
R. Hamburg, C. Fletcher, Eric Burns, A. Goldstein, E. Bissaldi, M. S. Briggs, W. H. Cleveland, M. M. Giles, C. M. Hui, D. Kocevski, S. Lesage, B. Mailyan, Christian Malacaria, S. Poolakkil, R. D. Preece, O. J. Roberts, P. Vereš, A. von Kienlin, C. Wilson‐Hodge, J. Wood, Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, A. Aich, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, A. Amato, Shreya Anand, A. Ananyeva, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, S. V. Angelova, S. Ansoldi, S. Antier, S. Appert, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, J. S. Areeda, M. Arène, N. Arnaud, S. M. Aronson, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton, S. M. Aston, P. Astone, F. Aubin, P. Aufmuth, K. AultONeal, C. Austin, V. Avendano, S. Babak, P. Bacon, F. Badaracco, M. K. M. Bader, S. Bae, A. M. Baer, J. Baird, F. Baldaccini, G. Ballardin, S. W. Ballmer, A. Bals, A. Balsamo, G. Baltus, S. Banagiri, D. Bankar, R. S. Bankar, J. C. Barayoga, C. Barbieri, B. C. Barish, D. Barker, K. Barkett, P. Barneo, F. Barone, B. Barr, L. Barsotti, M. Barsuglia, D. Barta, J. Bartlett, I. Bartos, R. Bassiri, A. Basti, M. Bawaj, J. C. Bayley, M. Bazzan, B. Bécsy
Abstract
Abstract We present results from offline searches of Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) data for gamma-ray transients coincident with the compact binary coalescences observed by the gravitational-wave (GW) detectors Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo during their first and second observing runs. In particular, we perform follow-up for both confirmed events and low significance candidates reported in the LIGO/Virgo catalog GWTC-1. We search for temporal coincidences between these GW signals and GBM-triggered gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We also use the GBM Untargeted and Targeted subthreshold searches to find coincident gamma-rays below the onboard triggering threshold. This work implements a refined statistical approach by incorporating GW astrophysical source probabilities and GBM visibilities of LIGO/Virgo sky localizations to search for cumulative signatures of coincident subthreshold gamma-rays. All search methods recover the short gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A occurring ∼1.7 s after the binary neutron-star merger GW170817. We also present results from a new search seeking GBM counterparts to LIGO single-interferometer triggers. This search finds a candidate joint event, but given the nature of the GBM signal and localization, as well as the high joint false alarm rate of 1.1 × 10 −6 Hz, we do not consider it an astrophysical association. We find no additional coincidences.