GWTC-4.0: Methods for Identifying and Characterizing Gravitational-wave Transients

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b

GWTC-4.0: Methods for Identifying and Characterizing Gravitational-wave Transients

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik
LIGO Hanford
Dipartimento di Farmacia
University of Salerno
INFN Sezione di Napoli
University of Warwick
Pennsylvania State University
Leibniz Universität Hannover
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
California Institute of Technology
Louisiana State University
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
University of Louvain
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
Queen Mary University of London
Physics and Astronomy
Sejong University
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
University of the West of Scotland
University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
INFN Roma Tor Vergata
University of Antwerp
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
University College Dublin
National Astronomical Observatory
Advanced Technology Center
Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut
Friedrich-Schiller University
INFN Sezione di Torino
University of Glasgow
The University of Western Australia
CNRS
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
University of Naples Federico II
Cardiff University
Australian National University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Maastricht University
Science Park 105
Aix Marseille Univ
Institut Fresnel
Université Paris-Saclay
Department of Physics
University of Tokyo
University of Barcelona
The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Gran Sasso Science Institute
University of Florida
Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche
and Physics University of Udine
INFN Sezione di Trieste
Tecnologico de Monterrey
Université Côte d’Azur
Institute for Cosmic Ray Research
INFN Sezione di Perugia
University of Camerino
University of Washington
Astroparticule and Cosmol APC

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of candidate gravitational-wave transient signals identified and characterized by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration. Producing the contents of the GWTC from detector data requires complex analysis methods. These comprise techniques to model the signal; identify the transients in the data; evaluate the quality of the data and mitigate possible instrumental issues; infer the parameters of each transient; compare the data with the waveform models for compact binary coalescences; and handle the large amount of results associated with all of these different analyses. In this paper, we describe the methods employed to produce the catalog’s fourth release, GWTC-4.0, focusing on the analysis of the first part of the fourth observing run of Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

Original language	English
Article number	L21
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	1004
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b
Publication status	Published - 20 Jun 2026
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Gravitational wave astronomy (675)
Gravitational wave detectors (676)
Gravitational wave sources (677)
Neutron stars (1108)
Stellar mass black holes (1611)

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10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b

Cite this

@article{a0582e6eb2f943809c29dade8dea324c,

title = "GWTC-4.0: Methods for Identifying and Characterizing Gravitational-wave Transients",

abstract = "The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of candidate gravitational-wave transient signals identified and characterized by the LIGO{\textendash}Virgo{\textendash}KAGRA Collaboration. Producing the contents of the GWTC from detector data requires complex analysis methods. These comprise techniques to model the signal; identify the transients in the data; evaluate the quality of the data and mitigate possible instrumental issues; infer the parameters of each transient; compare the data with the waveform models for compact binary coalescences; and handle the large amount of results associated with all of these different analyses. In this paper, we describe the methods employed to produce the catalog{\textquoteright}s fourth release, GWTC-4.0, focusing on the analysis of the first part of the fourth observing run of Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.",

keywords = "Gravitational wave astronomy (675), Gravitational wave detectors (676), Gravitational wave sources (677), Neutron stars (1108), Stellar mass black holes (1611)",

author = "\{The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration\} and Abac, \{A. G.\} and I. Abouelfettouh and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and S. Adhicary and D. Adhikari and N. Adhikari and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adkins, \{V. K.\} and S. Afroz and D. Agarwal and M. Agathos and \{Aghaei Abchouyeh\}, M. and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and S. Ahmadzadeh and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and S. Akcay and T. Akutsu and S. Albanesi and Alfaidi, \{R. A.\} and A. Al-Jodah and C. All{\'e}n{\'e} and A. Allocca and S. Al-Shammari and Altin, \{P. A.\} and S. Alvarez-Lopez and O. Amarasinghe and A. Amato and C. Amra and A. Ananyeva and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and M. Andia and M. Ando and T. Andrade and M. Andr{\'e}s-Carcasona and T. Andri{\'c} and J. Anglin and S. Ansoldi and Antelis, \{J. M.\} and S. Antier and M. Aoumi and Appavuravther, \{E. Z.\} and S. Appert and Apple, \{S. K.\} and K. Arai and A. Araya and S. Chaty",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.",

year = "2026",

month = jun,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b",

language = "English",

volume = "1004",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - GWTC-4.0

T2 - Methods for Identifying and Characterizing Gravitational-wave Transients

AU - The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

AU - Abac, A. G.

AU - Abouelfettouh, I.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adhicary, S.

AU - Adhikari, D.

AU - Adhikari, N.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adkins, V. K.

AU - Afroz, S.

AU - Agarwal, D.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Aghaei Abchouyeh, M.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Ahmadzadeh, S.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Akcay, S.

AU - Akutsu, T.

AU - Albanesi, S.

AU - Alfaidi, R. A.

AU - Al-Jodah, A.

AU - Alléné, C.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Al-Shammari, S.

AU - Altin, P. A.

AU - Alvarez-Lopez, S.

AU - Amarasinghe, O.

AU - Amato, A.

AU - Amra, C.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Andia, M.

AU - Ando, M.

AU - Andrade, T.

AU - Andrés-Carcasona, M.

AU - Andrić, T.

AU - Anglin, J.

AU - Ansoldi, S.

AU - Antelis, J. M.

AU - Antier, S.

AU - Aoumi, M.

AU - Appavuravther, E. Z.

AU - Appert, S.

AU - Apple, S. K.

AU - Arai, K.

AU - Araya, A.

AU - Chaty, S.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.

PY - 2026/6/20

Y1 - 2026/6/20

N2 - The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of candidate gravitational-wave transient signals identified and characterized by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration. Producing the contents of the GWTC from detector data requires complex analysis methods. These comprise techniques to model the signal; identify the transients in the data; evaluate the quality of the data and mitigate possible instrumental issues; infer the parameters of each transient; compare the data with the waveform models for compact binary coalescences; and handle the large amount of results associated with all of these different analyses. In this paper, we describe the methods employed to produce the catalog’s fourth release, GWTC-4.0, focusing on the analysis of the first part of the fourth observing run of Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

AB - The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC) is a collection of candidate gravitational-wave transient signals identified and characterized by the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Collaboration. Producing the contents of the GWTC from detector data requires complex analysis methods. These comprise techniques to model the signal; identify the transients in the data; evaluate the quality of the data and mitigate possible instrumental issues; infer the parameters of each transient; compare the data with the waveform models for compact binary coalescences; and handle the large amount of results associated with all of these different analyses. In this paper, we describe the methods employed to produce the catalog’s fourth release, GWTC-4.0, focusing on the analysis of the first part of the fourth observing run of Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

KW - Gravitational wave astronomy (675)

KW - Gravitational wave detectors (676)

KW - Gravitational wave sources (677)

KW - Neutron stars (1108)

KW - Stellar mass black holes (1611)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042196208

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/ae447b

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105042196208

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 1004

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L21

ER -

GWTC-4.0: Methods for Identifying and Characterizing Gravitational-wave Transients

Abstract

Keywords

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