Abbott, B.Abbott, R.Adhikari, R.Ajith, P.Allen, B.Allen, G.Amin, R.Anderson, S.Anderson, W.Arain, M.Araya, M.Armandula, H.Armor, P.Aso, Y.Aston, S.Aufmuth, P.Aulbert, C.Babak, S.Ballmer, S.Bantilan, H.et al.2009-10-292009-10-292008Physical Review Letters, 2008; 101(21):211102-1-211102-60031-90071079-7114http://hdl.handle.net/2440/51761We present a LIGO search for short-duration gravitational waves (GWs) associated with soft gamma ray repeater (SGR) bursts. This is the first search sensitive to neutron star f modes, usually considered the most efficient GW emitting modes. We find no evidence of GWs associated with any SGR burst in a sample consisting of the 27 Dec. 2004 giant flare from SGR 1806-20 and 190 lesser events from SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14. The unprecedented sensitivity of the detectors allows us to set the most stringent limits on transient GW amplitudes published to date. We find upper limit estimates on the model-dependent isotropic GW emission energies (at a nominal distance of 10 kpc) between 3×10⁴⁵ and 9×10⁵² erg depending on waveform type, detector antenna factors and noise characteristics at the time of the burst. These upper limits are within the theoretically predicted range of some SGR models.en©2008 American Physical SocietyLIGO Scientific CollaborationJournal article002008405710.1103/PhysRevLett.101.2111020002611415000092-s2.0-5704912810740978Ottaway, D. [0000-0001-6794-1591]Veitch, P. [0000-0002-2597-435X]