Gravitational wave detectability range informed by external messengers
Abstract
A rapid estimate of gravitational-wave (GW) detectability associated with astronomical transients is crucial for optimizing multi-messenger follow-up strategies and for constraining the physical origin of the transient itself. We introduce here the Targeted Detectability Range (TDR), designed to evaluate, with minimal computational effort, the detectability of compact binary coalescences under the hypothesis of association with an external messenger, such as an electromagnetic or neutrino signal. Unlike the standard GW range, which is based on averaged source parameters, the TDR incorporates prior information from observations of the external messenger, including sky localization, inclination constraints, and physically motivated bounds on component masses. We report the TDR of all short- and long-duration gamma-ray bursts, observed during the first three observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The method is validated by performing a systematic comparison with the 90% exclusion distances provided by modeled targeted GW searches. In the absence of a coincident detection by all-sky, all-time GW searches, the TDR provides a rapid and quantitative constraint on a possible merger origin of the astrophysical source. Its low-latency implementation and public availability would enable timely prioritization of follow-up observations and optimized allocation of observational resources, with direct impact on the physical interpretation of astronomical transients.
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BibTeX
@misc{ronchini2026gravitational,
title = {{Gravitational wave detectability range informed by external messengers}},
author = {S. Ronchini and A. Chopra and T. Dal Canton and B. Banerjee and A. L. De Santis and M. Branchesi},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2605.21578},
eprint = {2605.21578},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.21578},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Gravitational wave detectability range informed by external messengers
AU - S. Ronchini
AU - A. Chopra
AU - T. Dal Canton
AU - B. Banerjee
AU - A. L. De Santis
AU - M. Branchesi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2605.21578
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.21578
AB - A rapid estimate of gravitational-wave (GW) detectability associated with astronomical transients is crucial for optimizing multi-messenger follow-up strategies and for constraining the physical origin of the transient itself. We introduce here the Targeted Detectability Range (TDR), designed to evaluate, with minimal computational effort, the detectability of compact binary coalescences under the hypothesis of association with an external messenger, such as an electromagnetic or neutrino signal. Unlike the standard GW range, which is based on averaged source parameters, the TDR incorporates prior information from observations of the external messenger, including sky localization, inclination constraints, and physically motivated bounds on component masses. We report the TDR of all short- and long-duration gamma-ray bursts, observed during the first three observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The method is validated by performing a systematic comparison with the 90% exclusion distances provided by modeled targeted GW searches. In the absence of a coincident detection by all-sky, all-time GW searches, the TDR provides a rapid and quantitative constraint on a possible merger origin of the astrophysical source. Its low-latency implementation and public availability would enable timely prioritization of follow-up observations and optimized allocation of observational resources, with direct impact on the physical interpretation of astronomical transients.
ER -