Inferring the core-collapse supernova explosion mechanism with three-dimensional gravitational-wave simulations

Abstract: A detection of a core-collapse supernova signal with an Advanced LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave detector network will allow us to measure astrophysical parameters of the source. In real advanced gravitational-wave detector data there are transient noise artifacts that may mimic a true gravitational-wave signal. In this paper, we outline a procedure implemented in the Supernova Model Evidence Extractor (SMEE) that determines if a core-collapse supernova signal candidate is a noise artefact, a rapidly-rotating core-collapse supernova signal, or a neutrino explosion mechanism core-collapse supernova signal. Further to this, we use the latest available three-dimensional gravitational-wave core-collapse supernova simulations, and we outline a new procedure for the rejection of background noise transients when only one detector is operational. We find the minimum SNR needed to detect all waveforms is reduced when using three-dimensional waveforms as signal models.