Detecting Gravitational Wave Memory in the Next Galactic Core-Collapse Supernova

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics
• General Relativity
• Gravitational Wave Astronomy

Background:

• Gravitational wave memory is a key prediction of general relativity.
• This phenomenon, a permanent spacetime distortion, has not yet been experimentally confirmed.
• Core-collapse supernovae are potential sources of detectable gravitational waves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel approach for detecting linear gravitational wave memory.
• To assess the feasibility of detecting this signal from Galactic core-collapse supernovae using current interferometers.
• To determine the detection range and reliability of the proposed method.

Main Methods:

• The study employs a combination of linear prediction filtering and matched filtering techniques.
• The approach is tested on simulated data from core-collapse supernovae with varying progenitor masses and metallicities.
• False alarm probabilities are calculated based on an on-source window consistent with neutrino detection.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrates the capability to detect gravitational wave memory.
• Successful detection is achieved for simulated supernovae out to a distance of 10 kiloparsecs.
• The analysis provides crucial information on false alarm probabilities for realistic detection scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach offers a viable strategy for confirming gravitational wave memory.
• Current interferometers may be capable of detecting this predicted phenomenon from nearby supernovae.
• The findings have implications for multi-messenger astronomy, particularly when combined with neutrino observations.