title: Detecting Gravitational-Wave Memory with LIGO: Implications of GW150914.
abstract: It may soon be possible for Advanced LIGO to detect hundreds of binary black hole mergers per year. We show how the accumulation of many such measurements will allow for the detection of gravitational-wave memory: a permanent displacement of spacetime that comes from strong-field, general relativistic effects. We estimate that Advanced LIGO operating at design sensitivity may be able to make a signal-to-noise ratio 3 (5) detection of memory with ∼35 (90) events with masses and distance similar to GW150914. We highlight the importance of incorporating higher-order gravitational-wave modes for parameter estimation of binary black hole mergers, and describe how our methods can also be used to detect higher-order modes themselves before Advanced LIGO reaches design sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lasky
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thrane
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: TAPIR, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blackman
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Yanbei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen