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Binary black hole population properties inferred from the first and second observing runs of advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo
Citation
Siellez, K and The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration, Binary black hole population properties inferred from the first and second observing runs of advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 882, (2) Article L24. ISSN 2041-8205 (2019) [Refereed Article]
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DOI: doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab3800
Abstract
We present results on the mass, spin, and redshift distributions with phenomenological population models using the 10 binary black hole (BBH) mergers detected in the first and second observing runs completed by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We constrain properties of the BBH mass spectrum using models with a range of parameterizations of the BBH mass and spin distributions. We find that the mass distribution of the more massive BH in such binaries is well approximated by models with no more than 1% of BHs more massive than 45 and a power-law index of α =
(90% credibility). We also show that BBHs are unlikely to be composed of BHs with large spins aligned to the orbital angular momentum. Modeling the evolution of the BBH merger rate with redshift, we show that it is flat or increasing with redshift with 93% probability. Marginalizing over uncertainties in the BBH population, we find robust estimates of the BBH merger rate density of R =
Gpc−3 yr−1 (90% credibility). As the BBH catalog grows in future observing runs, we expect that uncertainties in the population model parameters will shrink, potentially providing insights into the formation of BHs via supernovae, binary interactions of massive stars, stellar cluster dynamics, and the formation history of BHs across cosmic time.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | black holes, gravitational waves, statistical |
Research Division: | Physical Sciences |
Research Group: | Astronomical sciences |
Research Field: | General relativity and gravitational waves |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences |
UTAS Author: | Siellez, K (Dr Karelle Siellez) |
ID Code: | 151004 |
Year Published: | 2019 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 364 |
Deposited By: | Physics |
Deposited On: | 2022-07-11 |
Last Modified: | 2022-07-11 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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