A new gravitational wave event reveals a binary black hole merger with total mass 190-265 solar masses, indicating black holes can form via gravitational-wave driven mergers beyond standard stellar channels.
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Modeling Ringdown: Beyond the Fundamental Quasi-Normal Modes
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abstract
While black hole perturbation theory predicts a rich quasi-normal mode structure, technical challenges have limited the numerical study of excitations to the fundamental, lowest order modes caused by the coalescence of black holes. Here, we present a robust method to identify quasi-normal mode excitations beyond the fundamentals within currently available numerical relativity waveforms. In applying this method to waveforms of initially non-spinning black hole binaries, of mass ratios 1 to 15, we find not only the fundamental quasi-normal mode amplitudes, but also overtones, and evidence for 2nd order quasi-normal modes. We find that the mass-ratio dependence of quasi-normal mode excitation is very well modeled by a Post-Newtonian like sum in symmetric mass ratio. Concurrently, we find that the mass ratio dependence of some quasi-normal modes is qualitatively different from their Post-Newtonian inspired counterparts, suggesting that the imprints of nonlinear merger are more evident in some modes than in others. We present new fitting formulas for the related quasi-normal mode excitations, as well as for remnant black hole spin and mass. We also discuss the relevance of our results in terms of gravitational wave detection and characterization.
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representative citing papers
Quasinormal mode excitation in black hole ringdown equals the Fourier transform of the perturbation evaluated at the mode frequency, so black holes act as resonant spectral filters.
Natural polynomials for Schwarzschild and Kerr quasinormal modes are Pollaczek-Jacobi polynomials with complex parameters, with recurrence peaking at the physical overtone index for Schwarzschild.
Dynamical dark energy imprints O(1) shifts on black hole quasi-normal modes via cosmological hair, enabling constraints at 10^{-2} (LVK) to 10^{-4} (LISA) precision using the cubic Galileon as example.
Numerical simulations of equal-mass boson-star mergers reveal larger waveform deviations from black-hole binaries in late inspiral and merger, plus odd multipole excitations for certain scalar-field phases, with some signals degenerate until IMR consistency tests are applied.
Polynomial models for the (2,2) post-merger waveform amplitudes of eccentric non-spinning binary black holes are constructed from numerical-relativity data as functions of symmetric mass ratio and two merger-time dynamical parameters.
In the large-D limit, analytic third-order nonlinear corrections to quasinormal modes improve ringdown modeling accuracy by several orders of magnitude for head-on black hole collisions.
SPRING framework propagates pre-merger information into spectral-level ringdown inference, improving Bayesian support for an agnostic two-damped-sinusoid model on GW250114 by ΔlnB ~5-10 while keeping remnant posteriors consistent with IMR estimates.
Introduces Debye series and Debye-QNMs to decompose waveforms from Schwarzschild-star models, achieving early-time convergence and organizing ringdown plus echo packets into individual propagation channels.
Constrained polarization model for Kerr ringdown modes enables inclination inference from two-detector data for non-precessing mergers but introduces biases when applied to precessing systems.
GW250114 data confirm the remnant is consistent with a Kerr black hole and bound the dominant quadrupolar mode frequency to within a few percent of the GR prediction, with constraints tighter than prior multi-event catalogs.
Ringdown analysis of GW150914 with overtones measures remnant mass and spin consistent with a Kerr black hole, supporting the no-hair theorem at the 10% level.
Binary black hole signals in GWTC-1 are consistent with general relativity predictions, with an improved graviton mass bound of mg ≤ 4.7 × 10^{-23} eV/c² at 90% credible level.
Polarization angle swings in photons near a Kerr black hole during ringdown lock in time to quasi-normal modes with amplitudes up to about 10 degrees.
Massive scalar quasinormal modes in quasi-topological black holes become long-lived as scalar mass grows, while photon-sphere radius, shadow size, and ISCO exhibit moderate deviations from Schwarzschild.
Quadratic quasinormal modes and the memory effect in black hole ringdown are related through bridge coefficients that depend primarily on remnant black hole parameters.
Fits to numerical relativity data indicate that leading-order post-Newtonian dependence on mass ratio persists in several modes of binary black hole mergers through the merger, while low-degree polynomials capture deviations in higher modes.
No evidence for deviations from general relativity is found in LIGO-Virgo binary black hole events, with improved constraints on waveform parameters, graviton mass, and ringdown properties.
Orthonormal QNM analysis of GW250114 raises the significance of the first overtone of the ℓ=m=2 mode from 82.5% to 99.9% and detects no significant deviation from Kerr predictions.
The prompt response is ~1.2 times stronger than quasinormal mode excitation during inspiral and enables 99% accurate reconstruction of the full inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform when combined with other components.
GW250114 data confirm the remnant black hole ringdown frequencies lie within 30% of Kerr predictions and that the final horizon area is larger than the sum of the progenitors' areas to high credibility.
No evidence for physics beyond general relativity is found in the analysis of 15 GW events from GWTC-3, with consistency in residuals, PN parameters, and remnant properties.
citing papers explorer
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GW231123: a Binary Black Hole Merger with Total Mass 190-265 $M_{\odot}$
A new gravitational wave event reveals a binary black hole merger with total mass 190-265 solar masses, indicating black holes can form via gravitational-wave driven mergers beyond standard stellar channels.
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Shaping black hole resonances I. Black hole ringdown as a spectral filtering process
Quasinormal mode excitation in black hole ringdown equals the Fourier transform of the perturbation evaluated at the mode frequency, so black holes act as resonant spectral filters.
-
Properties of natural polynomials for Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes
Natural polynomials for Schwarzschild and Kerr quasinormal modes are Pollaczek-Jacobi polynomials with complex parameters, with recurrence peaking at the physical overtone index for Schwarzschild.
-
Testing Dark Energy with Black Hole Ringdown
Dynamical dark energy imprints O(1) shifts on black hole quasi-normal modes via cosmological hair, enabling constraints at 10^{-2} (LVK) to 10^{-4} (LISA) precision using the cubic Galileon as example.
-
Lessons from binary dynamics of inspiralling equal-mass boson-star mergers
Numerical simulations of equal-mass boson-star mergers reveal larger waveform deviations from black-hole binaries in late inspiral and merger, plus odd multipole excitations for certain scalar-field phases, with some signals degenerate until IMR consistency tests are applied.
-
Highly eccentric non-spinning binary black hole mergers: quadrupolar post-merger waveforms
Polynomial models for the (2,2) post-merger waveform amplitudes of eccentric non-spinning binary black holes are constructed from numerical-relativity data as functions of symmetric mass ratio and two merger-time dynamical parameters.
-
Black Hole Ringdown Nonlinearities in the Large-D Limit
In the large-D limit, analytic third-order nonlinear corrections to quasinormal modes improve ringdown modeling accuracy by several orders of magnitude for head-on black hole collisions.
-
A pre-merger-informed spectral-level ringdown inference framework for black-hole spectroscopy
SPRING framework propagates pre-merger information into spectral-level ringdown inference, improving Bayesian support for an agnostic two-damped-sinusoid model on GW250114 by ΔlnB ~5-10 while keeping remnant posteriors consistent with IMR estimates.
-
Ringdown and echoes from compact objects: Debye series and Debye quasinormal modes
Introduces Debye series and Debye-QNMs to decompose waveforms from Schwarzschild-star models, achieving early-time convergence and organizing ringdown plus echo packets into individual propagation channels.
-
Polarization Analysis of Ringdown Signals
Constrained polarization model for Kerr ringdown modes enables inclination inference from two-detector data for non-precessing mergers but introduces biases when applied to precessing systems.
-
Black Hole Spectroscopy and Tests of General Relativity with GW250114
GW250114 data confirm the remnant is consistent with a Kerr black hole and bound the dominant quadrupolar mode frequency to within a few percent of the GR prediction, with constraints tighter than prior multi-event catalogs.
-
Testing the no-hair theorem with GW150914
Ringdown analysis of GW150914 with overtones measures remnant mass and spin consistent with a Kerr black hole, supporting the no-hair theorem at the 10% level.
-
Tests of General Relativity with the Binary Black Hole Signals from the LIGO-Virgo Catalog GWTC-1
Binary black hole signals in GWTC-1 are consistent with general relativity predictions, with an improved graviton mass bound of mg ≤ 4.7 × 10^{-23} eV/c² at 90% credible level.
-
Black Hole Ringdown Seen in Photon Polarization Swings
Polarization angle swings in photons near a Kerr black hole during ringdown lock in time to quasi-normal modes with amplitudes up to about 10 degrees.
-
Long-lived quasinormal modes, shadows and particle motion in four-dimensional quasi-topological gravity
Massive scalar quasinormal modes in quasi-topological black holes become long-lived as scalar mass grows, while photon-sphere radius, shadow size, and ISCO exhibit moderate deviations from Schwarzschild.
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Can Oscillatory and Persistent Nonlinearities Be Bridged in Black Hole Ringdown?
Quadratic quasinormal modes and the memory effect in black hole ringdown are related through bridge coefficients that depend primarily on remnant black hole parameters.
-
Persistence of post-Newtonian amplitude structure in binary black hole mergers
Fits to numerical relativity data indicate that leading-order post-Newtonian dependence on mass ratio persists in several modes of binary black hole mergers through the merger, while low-degree polynomials capture deviations in higher modes.
-
Tests of General Relativity with Binary Black Holes from the second LIGO-Virgo Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog
No evidence for deviations from general relativity is found in LIGO-Virgo binary black hole events, with improved constraints on waveform parameters, graviton mass, and ringdown properties.
-
Ringdown Analysis of GW250114 with Orthonormal Modes
Orthonormal QNM analysis of GW250114 raises the significance of the first overtone of the ℓ=m=2 mode from 82.5% to 99.9% and detects no significant deviation from Kerr predictions.
-
Prompt Response from Plunging Sources in Schwarzschild Spacetime
The prompt response is ~1.2 times stronger than quasinormal mode excitation during inspiral and enables 99% accurate reconstruction of the full inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform when combined with other components.
-
GW250114: testing Hawking's area law and the Kerr nature of black holes
GW250114 data confirm the remnant black hole ringdown frequencies lie within 30% of Kerr predictions and that the final horizon area is larger than the sum of the progenitors' areas to high credibility.
-
Tests of General Relativity with GWTC-3
No evidence for physics beyond general relativity is found in the analysis of 15 GW events from GWTC-3, with consistency in residuals, PN parameters, and remnant properties.