Global Fractal Temporal Correlations in Gravitational-Wave Detector Noise: A Cross-Detector, Cross-Epoch, and Null-Model Study

# 📄 Global Fractal Temporal Correlations in Gravitational-Wave Detector Noise: A Cross-Detector, Cross-Epoch, and Null-Model Study **Preprint / Working Paper** > **👤 Author: ** Krzysztof Żuchowski > **🏢 Affiliation: ** Independent Researcher — Fractal Information Theory Project > **📅 Date: ** 2026-01-04 > **🆔 Phase: ** QW-1660 (Extended Audit) --- ## 📝 Abstract We report a systematic, multi-phase investigation of long-range temporal correlations in gravitational-wave interferometer strain data, using publicly available LIGO and Virgo open datasets. Across a sequence of increasingly stringent tests (QW-1660 v5–v24), we identify statistically significant fractal scaling behavior, characterized by nontrivial Hurst exponents, that is consistent across detectors, observational epochs, and analysis windows. Crucially, cross-detector correlations persist under phase-randomized surrogate tests that preserve the power spectral density, while disappearing under temporal shuffling. This demonstrates that the observed correlations cannot be attributed to shared spectral features, stationary Gaussian noise, or instrumental artifacts. Our results indicate the presence of a global, phase-robust, long-range temporal structure in the gravitational-wave strain background, extending beyond the assumptions of purely local noise models. While compatible with General Relativity at the level of local dynamics, these findings suggest that the statistical structure of spacetime fluctuations may possess a deeper, scale-invariant organization. --- ## 🔬 Key Empirical Findings This study presents three critical pieces of evidence rejecting the "Standard Gaussian Noise" hypothesis: ### 1. Cross-Epoch Stability (v21/v22) The fractal memory is stable across years of observation, independent of detector upgrades or environmental changes: * **Single-Detector range: ** H 0. 27 - 0. 31 (Consistent throughout O3 and Early O4) * **O4 Verification: ** H 0. 33 (v22) ### 2. Cross-Detector Correlations (v24) Statistically significant phase-robust fractal correlations are detected between geographically separated interferometers using the correlation-based Cross-Hurst estimator: * **H1–L1 Correlation: ** Hₗₘ = 0. 361 (> 5 significance) * **L1–V1 Correlation: ** Hₗₘ = 0. 270 (> 5 significance) ### 3. Null-Model Validation (v19/v24) * **Time Shuffling: ** Destroys the correlations (H 0. 5), proving they are truly temporal/memory-based. * **Phase Randomization: ** Preserves the correlations (H Hₑ₄₀₋), proving they are **irreducible to the Power Spectral Density (PSD) ** and represent genuine phase-robust structure. --- ## 📂 Associated Resources * **Preprint PDF: ** `GlobalFractalCorrelationsᵢnGWNoisePreprint. pdf` * **Replication Code (Kaggle): ** Phase 16 - Raw Strain Fractal Audit (https: //www. kaggle. com/code/krzysztofzuchowski/phase-16-raw-strain-qw-1660-v5-fractal) **RUN FIRST QW-1660 v2 !!!** Data required by v5-v24 scripts is retrieved via the *QW-1660 v2: HOLOGRAPHIC NOISE SEARCH* cell. * **Analysis Data: ** `QW₁660ᵥ24crossₕurstₙullᵥalidation. json` * **Project Repository: ** GitHub (https: //github. com/hyconiek/Fractal-Nadsoliton-Theory) --- **Keywords: ** Gravitational waves, Hurst exponent, Fractal noise, Non-Markovian dynamics, LIGO, Virgo, Stochastic background.