Constraints on Gravitational Waves from the 2024 Vela Pulsar Glitch

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

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bc

Constraints on Gravitational Waves from the 2024 Vela Pulsar Glitch

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

Sub Gravitational and Subatomic Physics (GRASP)

Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
National Science Foundation
University of Salerno
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Warwick
Monash University
Pennsylvania State University
Leibniz University Hannover
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
California Institute of Technology
Louisiana State University
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Aix-Marseille Université
Université catholique de Louvain
Queen Mary University of London
University of California at Davis
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Université Paris 7
University of Rome Tor Vergata
University of Antwerp
International Centre for Theoretical Sciences
National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
University of Genoa
Université de Savoie
University of Naples Federico II
Cardiff University
Australian National University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Maastricht University
National Institute for Subatomic Physics
University of Rome La Sapienza
Institut Fresnel
ComUE Paris-Saclay
The University of Tokyo
Institute for High Energy Physics
Gran Sasso Science Institute
University of Florida

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

Abstract

Among known neutron stars, the Vela pulsar is one of the best targets for gravitational-wave searches. It is also one of the most prolific in terms of glitches, which are sudden frequency changes in a pulsar’s rotation. Such glitches could cause a variety of transient gravitational-wave signals. Here, we search for signals associated with a Vela glitch on 2024 April 29 in data of the two LIGO detectors from the fourth LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observing run. We search both for seconds-scale burst-like emission, primarily from fundamental (f-)mode oscillations, and for longer quasi-monochromatic transients up to 4 months in duration, primarily from quasi-static quadrupolar deformations. We find no significant detection candidates, but for the first time we set direct observational upper limits on gravitational strain amplitude that are stricter than what can be indirectly inferred from the overall glitch energy scale. We discuss the short- and long-duration observational constraints in the context of specific emission models. These results demonstrate the potential of gravitational-wave probes of glitching pulsars as detector sensitivity continues to improve.

Original language	English
Article number	12
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	1005
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bc
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2026

Bibliographical note

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.

Keywords

Gravitational wave astronomy (675)
Interdisciplinary astronomy (804)
Neutron stars (1108)
Pulsars (1306)

Access to Document

10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bcLicence: CC BY

Abac_2026_ApJ_1005_12Final published version, 4.4 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{d717b8cd22354917a01221fd9df81086,

title = "Constraints on Gravitational Waves from the 2024 Vela Pulsar Glitch",

abstract = "Among known neutron stars, the Vela pulsar is one of the best targets for gravitational-wave searches. It is also one of the most prolific in terms of glitches, which are sudden frequency changes in a pulsar{\textquoteright}s rotation. Such glitches could cause a variety of transient gravitational-wave signals. Here, we search for signals associated with a Vela glitch on 2024 April 29 in data of the two LIGO detectors from the fourth LIGO{\textendash}Virgo{\textendash}KAGRA observing run. We search both for seconds-scale burst-like emission, primarily from fundamental (f-)mode oscillations, and for longer quasi-monochromatic transients up to 4 months in duration, primarily from quasi-static quadrupolar deformations. We find no significant detection candidates, but for the first time we set direct observational upper limits on gravitational strain amplitude that are stricter than what can be indirectly inferred from the overall glitch energy scale. We discuss the short- and long-duration observational constraints in the context of specific emission models. These results demonstrate the potential of gravitational-wave probes of glitching pulsars as detector sensitivity continues to improve.",

keywords = "Gravitational wave astronomy (675), Interdisciplinary astronomy (804), Neutron stars (1108), Pulsars (1306)",

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 C. Adamcewicz and S. Adhicary and D. Adhikari and N. Adhikari and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adkins, \{V. K.\} and S. Afroz and A. Agapito and D. Agarwal and M. Agathos and N. Aggarwal and S. Aggarwal and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and Ahrend, \{I. L.\} and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and T. Akutsu and S. Albanesi and W. Ali and S. Al-Kershi 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 F. Amicucci and C. Amra and A. Ananyeva and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and M. Andia and M. Ando and M. Andr{\'e}s-Carcasona and T. Andri{\'c} and J. Anglin and S. Caudill and T. Dietrich and Hannuksela, \{O. A.\} and Pang, \{P. T.H.\} and Phukon, \{K. S.\} and A. Puecher and A. Samajdar and \{Van Den Broeck\}, C.",

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 = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bc",

language = "English",

volume = "1005",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Constraints on Gravitational Waves from the 2024 Vela Pulsar Glitch

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 - Adamcewicz, C.

AU - Adhicary, S.

AU - Adhikari, D.

AU - Adhikari, N.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adkins, V. K.

AU - Afroz, S.

AU - Agapito, A.

AU - Agarwal, D.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Aggarwal, N.

AU - Aggarwal, S.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Ahrend, I. L.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Akutsu, T.

AU - Albanesi, S.

AU - Ali, W.

AU - Al-Kershi, S.

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 - Amicucci, F.

AU - Amra, C.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Andia, M.

AU - Ando, M.

AU - Andrés-Carcasona, M.

AU - Andrić, T.

AU - Anglin, J.

AU - Caudill, S.

AU - Dietrich, T.

AU - Hannuksela, O. A.

AU - Pang, P. T.H.

AU - Phukon, K. S.

AU - Puecher, A.

AU - Samajdar, A.

AU - Van Den Broeck, C.

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 - 2026/7/1

Y1 - 2026/7/1

N2 - Among known neutron stars, the Vela pulsar is one of the best targets for gravitational-wave searches. It is also one of the most prolific in terms of glitches, which are sudden frequency changes in a pulsar’s rotation. Such glitches could cause a variety of transient gravitational-wave signals. Here, we search for signals associated with a Vela glitch on 2024 April 29 in data of the two LIGO detectors from the fourth LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observing run. We search both for seconds-scale burst-like emission, primarily from fundamental (f-)mode oscillations, and for longer quasi-monochromatic transients up to 4 months in duration, primarily from quasi-static quadrupolar deformations. We find no significant detection candidates, but for the first time we set direct observational upper limits on gravitational strain amplitude that are stricter than what can be indirectly inferred from the overall glitch energy scale. We discuss the short- and long-duration observational constraints in the context of specific emission models. These results demonstrate the potential of gravitational-wave probes of glitching pulsars as detector sensitivity continues to improve.

AB - Among known neutron stars, the Vela pulsar is one of the best targets for gravitational-wave searches. It is also one of the most prolific in terms of glitches, which are sudden frequency changes in a pulsar’s rotation. Such glitches could cause a variety of transient gravitational-wave signals. Here, we search for signals associated with a Vela glitch on 2024 April 29 in data of the two LIGO detectors from the fourth LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA observing run. We search both for seconds-scale burst-like emission, primarily from fundamental (f-)mode oscillations, and for longer quasi-monochromatic transients up to 4 months in duration, primarily from quasi-static quadrupolar deformations. We find no significant detection candidates, but for the first time we set direct observational upper limits on gravitational strain amplitude that are stricter than what can be indirectly inferred from the overall glitch energy scale. We discuss the short- and long-duration observational constraints in the context of specific emission models. These results demonstrate the potential of gravitational-wave probes of glitching pulsars as detector sensitivity continues to improve.

KW - Gravitational wave astronomy (675)

KW - Interdisciplinary astronomy (804)

KW - Neutron stars (1108)

KW - Pulsars (1306)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042376566

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bc

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ae63bc

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105042376566

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 1005

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 12

ER -

Constraints on Gravitational Waves from the 2024 Vela Pulsar Glitch

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this