Astrophysical Calibration of GW Detectors
First published: May 13, 2026
Data from two loud events have been used for the first time, as an "astrophysical calibration" of the gravitational-wave detectors.
In a typical gravitational-wave data analysis, signal waveforms together with measured instrumental calibration uncertainties are used to infer source parameters. However for very loud events, where the signal clearly outweighs the background noise, comparing the signal to predictions from general relativity (together with comparison of the signals observed in other detectors), can be used to recalibrate the data from a 'mis-tuned' detector retrospectively.
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