Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves

Rory J.E. Smith; Colm Talbot; Francisco Hernandez Vivanco; Eric Thrane

doi:10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642

Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves

Rory J.E. Smith, Colm Talbot, Francisco Hernandez Vivanco, Eric Thrane

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The vast majority of compact binary mergers in the Universe produce gravitational waves that are too weak to yield unambiguous detections; they are unresolved. We present a method to infer the population properties of compact binaries a- such as their merger rates, mass spectrum, and spin distribution a- using both resolved and unresolved gravitational waves. By eliminating entirely the distinction between resolved and unresolved signals, we eliminate bias from selection effects. To demonstrate this method, we carry out a Monte Carlo study using an astrophysically motivated population of binary black holes. We show that some population properties of compact binaries are well constrained by unresolved signals after about one week of observation with Advanced LIGO at design sensitivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3281-3290
Number of pages	10
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	496
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642
Publication status	Published - Aug 2020

Keywords

Black Hole Mergers
Gravitational Waves

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10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642

Cite this

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title = "Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves",

abstract = "The vast majority of compact binary mergers in the Universe produce gravitational waves that are too weak to yield unambiguous detections; they are unresolved. We present a method to infer the population properties of compact binaries a- such as their merger rates, mass spectrum, and spin distribution a- using both resolved and unresolved gravitational waves. By eliminating entirely the distinction between resolved and unresolved signals, we eliminate bias from selection effects. To demonstrate this method, we carry out a Monte Carlo study using an astrophysically motivated population of binary black holes. We show that some population properties of compact binaries are well constrained by unresolved signals after about one week of observation with Advanced LIGO at design sensitivity.",

keywords = "Black Hole Mergers, Gravitational Waves",

author = "Smith, \{Rory J.E.\} and Colm Talbot and Vivanco, \{Francisco Hernandez\} and Eric Thrane",

note = "Funding Information: RS, CT, FHV, and ET are supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) CE170100004. ET is supported by ARC FT150100281. We thank Stuart Anderson and the LIGO Data Grid for assistance with computing infrastructure, and Maya Fishbach, Thomas Callister, and Thomas Dent for helpful comments and suggestions. We acknowledge the OzStar cluster for providing graphical processor units to carry out some of our calculations. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2020",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642",

language = "English",

volume = "496",

pages = "3281--3290",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

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T1 - Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves

AU - Smith, Rory J.E.

AU - Talbot, Colm

AU - Vivanco, Francisco Hernandez

AU - Thrane, Eric

N1 - Funding Information: RS, CT, FHV, and ET are supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) CE170100004. ET is supported by ARC FT150100281. We thank Stuart Anderson and the LIGO Data Grid for assistance with computing infrastructure, and Maya Fishbach, Thomas Callister, and Thomas Dent for helpful comments and suggestions. We acknowledge the OzStar cluster for providing graphical processor units to carry out some of our calculations. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/8

Y1 - 2020/8

N2 - The vast majority of compact binary mergers in the Universe produce gravitational waves that are too weak to yield unambiguous detections; they are unresolved. We present a method to infer the population properties of compact binaries a- such as their merger rates, mass spectrum, and spin distribution a- using both resolved and unresolved gravitational waves. By eliminating entirely the distinction between resolved and unresolved signals, we eliminate bias from selection effects. To demonstrate this method, we carry out a Monte Carlo study using an astrophysically motivated population of binary black holes. We show that some population properties of compact binaries are well constrained by unresolved signals after about one week of observation with Advanced LIGO at design sensitivity.

AB - The vast majority of compact binary mergers in the Universe produce gravitational waves that are too weak to yield unambiguous detections; they are unresolved. We present a method to infer the population properties of compact binaries a- such as their merger rates, mass spectrum, and spin distribution a- using both resolved and unresolved gravitational waves. By eliminating entirely the distinction between resolved and unresolved signals, we eliminate bias from selection effects. To demonstrate this method, we carry out a Monte Carlo study using an astrophysically motivated population of binary black holes. We show that some population properties of compact binaries are well constrained by unresolved signals after about one week of observation with Advanced LIGO at design sensitivity.

KW - Black Hole Mergers

KW - Gravitational Waves

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85098404545

U2 - 10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642

DO - 10.1093/MNRAS/STAA1642

M3 - Article

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SN - 0035-8711

VL - 496

SP - 3281

EP - 3290

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves

Abstract

Keywords

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Other files and links

ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery

Gravitational-wave astronomy: detection and beyond

Cite this

Inferring the population properties of binary black holes from unresolved gravitational waves

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery

Gravitational-wave astronomy: detection and beyond

Cite this