ALBERT

Description: We present our current best estimate of the plausible observing scenarios for the Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA gravitational-wave detectors over the next several years, with the intention of providing information to facilitate planning for multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational waves. We estimate the sensitivity of the network to transient gravitational-wave signals for the third (O3), fourth (O4) and fifth observing (O5) runs, including the planned upgrades of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. We study the capability of the network to determine the sky location of the source for gravitational-wave signals from the inspiral of binary systems of compact objects, that is binary neutron star, neutron star–black hole, and binary black hole systems. The ability to localize the sources is given as a sky-area probability, luminosity distance, and comoving volume. The median sky localization area (90% credible region) is expected to be a few hundreds of square degrees for all types of binary systems during O3 with the Advanced LIGO and Virgo (HLV) network. The median sky localization area will improve to a few tens of square degrees during O4 with the Advanced LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA (HLVK) network. During O3, the median localization volume (90% credible region) is expected to be on the order of $$10^{5}, 10^{6}, 10^{7}mathrm { Mpc}^3$$ 10 5 , 10 6 , 10 7 Mpc 3 for binary neutron star, neutron star–black hole, and binary black hole systems, respectively. The localization volume in O4 is expected to be about a factor two smaller than in O3. We predict a detection count of $$1^{+12}_{-1}$$ 1 - 1 + 12 ($$10^{+52}_{-10}$$ 10 - 10 + 52 ) for binary neutron star mergers, of $$0^{+19}_{-0}$$ 0 - 0 + 19 ($$1^{+91}_{-1}$$ 1 - 1 + 91 ) for neutron star–black hole mergers, and $$17^{+22}_{-11}$$ 17 - 11 + 22 ($$79^{+89}_{-44}$$ 79 - 44 + 89 ) for binary black hole mergers in a one-calendar-year observing run of the HLV network during O3 (HLVK network during O4). We evaluate sensitivity and localization expectations for unmodeled signal searches, including the search for intermediate mass black hole binary mergers.

Description: The effect of nitrogen additions on fatigue behavior has been examined in near-equiaxed, rolled Ti-6Al-4V bar. This is the first-time nitrogen content that has been systematically explored with respect to monotonic and cyclic properties in a Ti-6Al-4V alloy base composition. Nitrogen additions were found to increase the $$ eta $$ β -transus temperature and strength, but they decreased ductility, even in microstructures where some $$ eta $$ β phase remained. This carried across into both the low- and high cycle fatigue behavior; even small contents of 240 and 560 ppmwN caused reductions in both low cycle fatigue life and high cycle fatigue strength. In samples containing 240 and 560 ppmwN, a conventional striated fractographic appearance was observed, but a dramatic change to a macroscopically brittle fracture surface was observed at 1800 and 3600 ppmwN, but still with substantial evidence of plasticity at the microscale. Therefore, neither microstructure or fractographic examination, nor EDX-based compositional analysis in the electron microscope are necessarily a reliable indicator of an absence of deleterious nitrogen contamination. This is significant for the investigation of potentially nitrogen-contaminated surface-initiated cracks, either due to service or processing exposures.