GWTC-4 data reveals three sub-populations of binary black holes with distinct delay-time distributions that depend on mass above 45 solar masses, mass-ratio, and spin, ruling out a single universal merger rate.
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Reversible-jump MCMC analysis of LIGO binary black hole mergers identifies three subpopulations with distinct properties and independent redshift evolution.
A new model emphasizing secondary mass features and pairing transitions improves spectral siren H0 constraints by ~30% using 142 GW events from GWTC-4.0.
GW190814 is proposed to originate from a collapsar-disk fragment merging with the central black hole, potentially preceded by SN2019npv ~60 days earlier, yielding H0 = 70.5 (+9.2, -6.4) km/s/Mpc.
Models BBH spin-orbit alignment as random walk on sphere, deriving exact distribution after n encounters and showing alignment survives several strong encounters before isotropy.
New spectral models of solar-metallicity stellar populations using POSYDON show binary-stripped stars dominating ionizing radiation after about 16 Myr.
A parametrized analytical model for BBH mass ratios from the stable mass transfer channel is derived and applied to the 10 solar-mass peak in GWTC-4, favoring little mass-ratio reversal.
Deconvolution of the GWTC-4.0 BBH merger rate reveals that long-delay tails in the delay time distribution are forbidden, constraining progenitor formation histories to decline more steeply than the star formation rate and disfavoring shallow power-law DTDs such as stable mass transfer.
Efficient mass transfer in binaries naturally limits the mass of the first-born black hole and produces a sharp drop above 45 solar masses that mimics the pair-instability gap.
GWTC-4 data analysis yields a pair-instability mass gap lower edge at 44.3^{+5.9}_{-3.5} M_⊙, an S-factor of 268^{+195}_{-116} keV b for ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O, and two populations supporting both direct formation and hierarchical mergers.
Stable mass transfer produces two distinct peaks in merging binary black hole primary mass and mass ratio distributions via mass ratio reversal under conservative mass transfer.
No evidence for core-collapse formed low-spin IMBHs in GWTC-4, with 90% upper limit on merger rate of 0.077 Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}, low-spin BH mass truncation at 65 solar masses consistent with pair-instability gap lower edge, and high-spin IMBHs from hierarchical mergers.
Simulations with a new tidal model in COMPAS predict that merging binary black holes from isolated evolution are strongly biased to low effective spins, with one third below 0.05 and only 3% above 0.5, but the high-spin fraction rises to 15% at higher redshifts.
Reconstruction of GRO J1655-40, SAX J1819.3-2525 and 4U 1543-47 requires CE efficiencies α_0.5U ≳6.7, α_U ≳4.2, α_H ≳1.7 with no solutions below unity, implying need for additional energy or formalism changes plus natal kicks ≳50 km/s for 4U 1543-47.
Binary evolution simulations identify short (20-500 days) and long (2000-4000 days) orbital period ranges where massive star-black hole systems retain enough angular momentum for GRB jet production with negligible mass loss.
citing papers explorer
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The First Detection of Sub-Populations in the Delay-Time Distribution of Binary Black Holes in GWTC-4 of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA
GWTC-4 data reveals three sub-populations of binary black holes with distinct delay-time distributions that depend on mass above 45 solar masses, mass-ratio, and spin, ruling out a single universal merger rate.
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Reversible-jump MCMC reveals binary black hole subpopulations with distinct redshift evolution
Reversible-jump MCMC analysis of LIGO binary black hole mergers identifies three subpopulations with distinct properties and independent redshift evolution.
-
Secondary-Mass Features improve Spectral-Siren $H_0$ Constraints
A new model emphasizing secondary mass features and pairing transitions improves spectral siren H0 constraints by ~30% using 142 GW events from GWTC-4.0.
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A Collapsar-Disk Origin for GW190814
GW190814 is proposed to originate from a collapsar-disk fragment merging with the central black hole, potentially preceded by SN2019npv ~60 days earlier, yielding H0 = 70.5 (+9.2, -6.4) km/s/Mpc.
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Getting Tilted: Random Walk of Binary Black Hole Spin-Orbit Alignment in Dense Star Clusters
Models BBH spin-orbit alignment as random walk on sphere, deriving exact distribution after n encounters and showing alignment survives several strong encounters before isotropy.
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Stellar Population Spectra Incorporating Detailed Binary Evolution using POSYDON
New spectral models of solar-metallicity stellar populations using POSYDON show binary-stripped stars dominating ionizing radiation after about 16 Myr.
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A Strongly Parametrized Mass Ratio Model for the Stable Mass Transfer Channel: a Case Study of the $10 \, \rm{M}_{\odot}$ Peak
A parametrized analytical model for BBH mass ratios from the stable mass transfer channel is derived and applied to the 10 solar-mass peak in GWTC-4, favoring little mass-ratio reversal.
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Forbidden Formation Histories: The Binary Black Hole Merger Rate Disfavors Long Delay Times
Deconvolution of the GWTC-4.0 BBH merger rate reveals that long-delay tails in the delay time distribution are forbidden, constraining progenitor formation histories to decline more steeply than the star formation rate and disfavoring shallow power-law DTDs such as stable mass transfer.
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Binary Evolution Can Mimic the Pair-Instability Mass Gap in Black Hole Mergers
Efficient mass transfer in binaries naturally limits the mass of the first-born black hole and produces a sharp drop above 45 solar masses that mimics the pair-instability gap.
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Gravitational-wave constraints on the pair-instability mass gap and nuclear burning in massive stars
GWTC-4 data analysis yields a pair-instability mass gap lower edge at 44.3^{+5.9}_{-3.5} M_⊙, an S-factor of 268^{+195}_{-116} keV b for ^{12}C(α,γ)^{16}O, and two populations supporting both direct formation and hierarchical mergers.
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A Stellar Role Reversal: Multiple Features in the Mass and Mass Ratio Distributions of Merging Binary Black Holes from Stable Mass Transfer
Stable mass transfer produces two distinct peaks in merging binary black hole primary mass and mass ratio distributions via mass ratio reversal under conservative mass transfer.
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How do the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's Heavy Black Holes Form? No evidence for core-collapse Intermediate-mass black holes in GWTC-4
No evidence for core-collapse formed low-spin IMBHs in GWTC-4, with 90% upper limit on merger rate of 0.077 Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}, low-spin BH mass truncation at 65 solar masses consistent with pair-instability gap lower edge, and high-spin IMBHs from hierarchical mergers.
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Modern tidal interaction models for rapid binary population synthesis: II. Binary black hole formation, mergers, and spins
Simulations with a new tidal model in COMPAS predict that merging binary black holes from isolated evolution are strongly biased to low effective spins, with one third below 0.05 and only 3% above 0.5, but the high-spin fraction rises to 15% at higher redshifts.
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A Path to Constraints on Common Envelope Ejection in Massive Binaries: Full Evolutionary Reconstruction of Three Black Hole X-ray Binaries
Reconstruction of GRO J1655-40, SAX J1819.3-2525 and 4U 1543-47 requires CE efficiencies α_0.5U ≳6.7, α_U ≳4.2, α_H ≳1.7 with no solutions below unity, implying need for additional energy or formalism changes plus natal kicks ≳50 km/s for 4U 1543-47.
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Simulations of Interacting Binary Systems -- Pathways to Radio Bright GRB Progenitors
Binary evolution simulations identify short (20-500 days) and long (2000-4000 days) orbital period ranges where massive star-black hole systems retain enough angular momentum for GRB jet production with negligible mass loss.