Can LIGO Detect Daylight Savings Time?

Summary

[Submitted on 15 Sep 2025 (v1), last revised 16 Sep 2025 (this version, v2)] Title:Can LIGO Detect Daylight Savings Time? View a PDF of the paper titled Can LIGO Detect Daylight Savings Time?, by Reed Essick View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Yes, it can. Catalogs produced by networks of Gravitational-wave interferometers are subject to complicated selection effects, and the gold-standard remains direct measurements of the detection probability through large injection campaigns. I leverage public data products from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaborations' 3rd and 4th observing runs to show that there are non-trivial temporal variations within the detection probability that are well-described by a weekly cycle. There are clear differences between weekends and weekdays, between day and night (at the sites), and even between daylight-savings and standard time. I discuss possible causes for this behavior and implications. Submission history From: Reed Essick [view email] [v1] Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:30:47 UTC (1,654 KB) [v2] Tue, 16 Sep 2025 23:35:34 UTC (1,654 KB)