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.
hub Canonical reference
GWTC-2: Compact Binary Coalescences Observed by LIGO and Virgo During the First Half of the Third Observing Run
Canonical reference. 74% of citing Pith papers cite this work as background.
69
Pith papers citing it
Background
74% of classified citations
abstract
We report on gravitational wave discoveries from compact binary coalescences detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in the first half of the third observing run (O3a) between 1 April 2019 15:00 UTC and 1 October 2019 15:00. By imposing a false-alarm-rate threshold of two per year in each of the four search pipelines that constitute our search, we present 39 candidate gravitational wave events. At this threshold, we expect a contamination fraction of less than 10%. Of these, 26 candidate events were reported previously in near real-time through GCN Notices and Circulars; 13 are reported here for the first time. The catalog contains events whose sources are black hole binary mergers up to a redshift of ~0.8, as well as events whose components could not be unambiguously identified as black holes or neutron stars. For the latter group, we are unable to determine the nature based on estimates of the component masses and spins from gravitational wave data alone. The range of candidate events which are unambiguously identified as binary black holes (both objects $\geq 3~M_\odot$) is increased compared to GWTC-1, with total masses from $\sim 14~M_\odot$ for GW190924_021846 to $\sim 150~M_\odot$ for GW190521. For the first time, this catalog includes binary systems with significantly asymmetric mass ratios, which had not been observed in data taken before April 2019. We also find that 11 of the 39 events detected since April 2019 have positive effective inspiral spins under our default prior (at 90% credibility), while none exhibit negative effective inspiral spin. Given the increased sensitivity of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, the detection of 39 candidate events in ~26 weeks of data (~1.5 per week) is consistent with GWTC-1.
hub tools
citation-role summary
background 27
dataset 6
method 1
citation-polarity summary
representative citing papers
The first informative astrophysical calibration of gravitational-wave detectors is reported using GW240925 and GW250207.
The first search for scalar-induced gravitational waves via pulsar parameter drifts yields f_PBH < 10^{-10} (95% CL) for PBH masses 0.3 to 4e4 solar masses, strongly disfavoring a primordial black hole origin for LVK binary black holes.
GW241011 data shows consistency with Kerr black holes for both quadrupole and octupole moments and delivers the first observational bounds on spin-induced octupole deviations.
First joint population inference on binary black hole eccentricity from GWTC-4 bounds the eccentric branching ratio below 5% at 90% confidence, with results consistent with quasi-circular models but highly model-dependent.
BHaHAHA provides the first infrastructure-agnostic open-source apparent horizon finder using a hyperbolic flow method, with reported 64x speedups on difficult cases and 2.1x faster dynamic tracking than AHFinderDirect.
An analytic Chebyshev-expansion method computes gravitational-wave fluxes from arbitrary-eccentricity Schwarzschild geodesics by reducing them to sums of prior Keplerian Fourier coefficients, with numerical tests showing 10^{-5} total flux accuracy and sub-10^{-6} mode errors for selected cases.
The gwNRHME framework constructs a multi-modal non-spinning eccentric gravitational waveform surrogate by modulating quasi-circular models with universal eccentric functions, achieving median mismatches of ~9e-5 against 156 NR waveforms.
A general relativistic derivation of gravitational wave response in an optically levitated cavity sensor reveals position-dependent strain sensitivity and suppressed input-mirror noise coupling.
A unified framework for the perturbed Kepler problem derives modified eccentric orbits and gravitational wave imprints from a general perturbed potential, offering a source-specific alternative to post-Newtonian expansions.
Derives closed 5D partial-wave Raman scattering amplitude via NS functions and computes non-vanishing dynamical ℓ=0 and static ℓ=1 scalar tidal Love numbers with RG running up to O(G²) for STBH.
Numerical simulations of eccentric Proca-star mergers show that relative phase between the stars controls post-merger fate and can generate odd-mode gravitational waves absent from black-hole mergers.
A universal anomalous dimension for multipole moments in GR is derived via two EFT methods and applied to resum short-distance logarithmic tails in binary gravitational waveforms.
Stable neutron-star configurations denser than black holes exist in quasi-topological gravity and may produce detectable gravitational-wave echoes.
Higher-curvature gravities are constructed in which both FLRW backgrounds and linearized scalar perturbations obey at most second-order differential equations.
Mass ratio reversals produce qualitatively different contributions to BBH merger rates and masses in COMPAS versus SEVN simulations, with core-growth dominating and most systems arising from massive low-metallicity progenitors.
Spinning test particles around rotating hairy black holes show finite-time instability in localized regions of the (spin, hair-parameter) plane that reorganize the strong-field phase space compared to Kerr.
The gravitational impulse for ultrarelativistic massive scalars is resummed to all orders in G_N at fixed G_N s/mb, recovering post-Minkowski results and predicting the leading high-energy behavior to eleventh post-Minkowski order.
A unified confluent HeunC framework computes gravitational-wave fluxes from generic Kerr orbits with 10^{-11} relative errors and speedups of 3-60x over existing packages for low- and high-order modes.
High initial eccentricities in stellar-mass black hole binaries produce a stochastic gravitational wave background distinguishable by LISA from quasi-circular models, enabling upper bounds on eccentricity and separation of environmental effects for dense gas.
Analytic gravitational waveforms from radial test-particle infall into a thin-shell traversable wormhole exhibit a characteristic pulse-gap structure from repeated throat crossings and lie within reach of ground-based detectors at ~500 Mpc.
Normalizing flows replace binned histograms for estimating multi-detector signal parameters in PyCBC, slashing storage by three orders of magnitude with under 0.05% sensitivity loss and up to 6.55% gains in specific cases.
pyEFPEHM extends prior PN models to include higher-order quasi-circular phasing, generalized precession solutions, and eccentric corrections up to 1PN in selected multipoles for eccentric precessing binaries with matter effects.
Dynamical formation in globular clusters produces a robust second black-hole mass peak at ~70 solar masses from second-generation mergers when the first-generation spectrum is truncated by pair-instability supernovae.
citing papers explorer
-
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.
-
GW240925 and GW250207: Astrophysical Calibration of Gravitational-wave Detectors
The first informative astrophysical calibration of gravitational-wave detectors is reported using GW240925 and GW250207.
-
Constraints on the Primordial Black Hole Abundance using Pulsar Parameter Drifts
The first search for scalar-induced gravitational waves via pulsar parameter drifts yields f_PBH < 10^{-10} (95% CL) for PBH masses 0.3 to 4e4 solar masses, strongly disfavoring a primordial black hole origin for LVK binary black holes.
-
Testing the Kerr hypothesis beyond the quadrupole with GW241011
GW241011 data shows consistency with Kerr black holes for both quadrupole and octupole moments and delivers the first observational bounds on spin-induced octupole deviations.
-
Population Properties of Binary Black Holes with Eccentricity
First joint population inference on binary black hole eccentricity from GWTC-4 bounds the eccentric branching ratio below 5% at 90% confidence, with results consistent with quasi-circular models but highly model-dependent.
-
BHaHAHA: A Fast, Robust Apparent Horizon Finder Library for Numerical Relativity
BHaHAHA provides the first infrastructure-agnostic open-source apparent horizon finder using a hyperbolic flow method, with reported 64x speedups on difficult cases and 2.1x faster dynamic tracking than AHFinderDirect.
-
Analytical Fluxes from Generic Schwarzschild Geodesics
An analytic Chebyshev-expansion method computes gravitational-wave fluxes from arbitrary-eccentricity Schwarzschild geodesics by reducing them to sums of prior Keplerian Fourier coefficients, with numerical tests showing 10^{-5} total flux accuracy and sub-10^{-6} mode errors for selected cases.
-
Including higher-order modes in a quadrupolar eccentric numerical relativity surrogate using universal eccentric modulation functions
The gwNRHME framework constructs a multi-modal non-spinning eccentric gravitational waveform surrogate by modulating quasi-circular models with universal eccentric functions, achieving median mismatches of ~9e-5 against 156 NR waveforms.
-
Gravitational wave signal and noise response of an optically levitated sensor in a Fabry-P\'erot cavity
A general relativistic derivation of gravitational wave response in an optically levitated cavity sensor reveals position-dependent strain sensitivity and suppressed input-mirror noise coupling.
-
Generalized Perturbed Kepler Problem: Gravitational Wave Imprints from Eccentric Compact Binaries
A unified framework for the perturbed Kepler problem derives modified eccentric orbits and gravitational wave imprints from a general perturbed potential, offering a source-specific alternative to post-Newtonian expansions.
-
5-Dimensional Gravitational Raman Scattering: Scalar Wave Perturbations in Schwarzschild-Tangherlini Spacetime
Derives closed 5D partial-wave Raman scattering amplitude via NS functions and computes non-vanishing dynamical ℓ=0 and static ℓ=1 scalar tidal Love numbers with RG running up to O(G²) for STBH.
-
Eccentric mergers of binary Proca stars
Numerical simulations of eccentric Proca-star mergers show that relative phase between the stars controls post-merger fate and can generate odd-mode gravitational waves absent from black-hole mergers.
-
Resummation of Universal Tails in Gravitational Waveforms
A universal anomalous dimension for multipole moments in GR is derived via two EFT methods and applied to resum short-distance logarithmic tails in binary gravitational waveforms.
-
Neutron stars more compact than black holes as a probe of strong-field gravity
Stable neutron-star configurations denser than black holes exist in quasi-topological gravity and may produce detectable gravitational-wave echoes.
-
Cosmological higher-curvature gravities
Higher-curvature gravities are constructed in which both FLRW backgrounds and linearized scalar perturbations obey at most second-order differential equations.
-
Massquerade: Impacts of Mass Ratio Reversals on Binary Black Hole Merger Rates and Mass Distributions
Mass ratio reversals produce qualitatively different contributions to BBH merger rates and masses in COMPAS versus SEVN simulations, with core-growth dominating and most systems arising from massive low-metallicity progenitors.
-
Spin-Hair Induced Chaos of Spinning Test Particles in Rotating Hairy Black Holes
Spinning test particles around rotating hairy black holes show finite-time instability in localized regions of the (spin, hair-parameter) plane that reorganize the strong-field phase space compared to Kerr.
-
The Classical Gravitational Impulse at High Energies
The gravitational impulse for ultrarelativistic massive scalars is resummed to all orders in G_N at fixed G_N s/mb, recovering post-Minkowski results and predicting the leading high-energy behavior to eleventh post-Minkowski order.
-
Efficient and Stable Computation of Gravitational-Wave Fluxes from Generic Kerr Orbits via a Unified HeunC Framework
A unified confluent HeunC framework computes gravitational-wave fluxes from generic Kerr orbits with 10^{-11} relative errors and speedups of 3-60x over existing packages for low- and high-order modes.
-
Implications of the LISA stochastic signal from eccentric stellar mass black hole binaries in vacuum
High initial eccentricities in stellar-mass black hole binaries produce a stochastic gravitational wave background distinguishable by LISA from quasi-circular models, enabling upper bounds on eccentricity and separation of environmental effects for dense gas.
-
Gravitational Waves from a Black Hole Falling Radially into a Thin-Shell Traversable Wormhole
Analytic gravitational waveforms from radial test-particle infall into a thin-shell traversable wormhole exhibit a characteristic pulse-gap structure from repeated throat crossings and lie within reach of ground-based detectors at ~500 Mpc.
-
Normalizing flows for density estimation in multi-detector gravitational-wave searches
Normalizing flows replace binned histograms for estimating multi-detector signal parameters in PyCBC, slashing storage by three orders of magnitude with under 0.05% sensitivity loss and up to 6.55% gains in specific cases.
-
Post-Newtonian inspiral waveform model for eccentric precessing binaries with higher-order modes and matter effects
pyEFPEHM extends prior PN models to include higher-order quasi-circular phasing, generalized precession solutions, and eccentric corrections up to 1PN in selected multipoles for eccentric precessing binaries with matter effects.
-
Second-Generation Mass Peak in the Gravitational-Wave Population as a Probe of Globular Clusters
Dynamical formation in globular clusters produces a robust second black-hole mass peak at ~70 solar masses from second-generation mergers when the first-generation spectrum is truncated by pair-instability supernovae.
-
Posterior Predictive Checks for Gravitational-wave Populations: Limitations and Improvements
Maximum-likelihood-based posterior predictive checks detect model misspecification better than event-level versions for uncertain spin tilts, but current detector sensitivity limits their power; the Gaussian Component Spins model underpredicts high spin magnitudes and overpredicts anti-aligned tilts
-
Measurement prospects for the pair-instability mass cutoff with gravitational waves
Simulations show a 40-50 solar-mass black-hole cutoff is not guaranteed to be confidently recovered from GWTC-4-like catalogs, spurious detections are unlikely, and O4 data would reduce cutoff-mass uncertainty by at least 20 percent while yielding only a lower bound on the carbon-alpha reaction rate
-
Quasinormal modes of rotating black holes beyond general relativity in the WKB approximation
Higher-order WKB accurately computes quasinormal mode frequencies for rotating black holes beyond general relativity, with errors below current GW measurement precision for GW250114.
-
Scalar fields around black hole binaries in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA
Semi-analytic waveform model for scalar environments around black hole binaries is validated against numerical relativity and applied to LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data to obtain upper limits on scalar densities with tentative evidence in GW190728.
-
A Robust and Efficient F-statistic-based Framework for Consistent Bayesian Inference of Compact Binary Coalescences
F-statistic framework analytically maximizes over distance and polarization to enable faster Bayesian inference of compact binary coalescences with a new evidence formulation that matches full frequency-domain results at lower cost.
-
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.
-
Gravitational wave surrogate model for spinning, intermediate mass ratio binaries based on perturbation theory and numerical relativity
BHPTNRSur2dq1e3 is a new surrogate model for spinning intermediate-mass-ratio black hole binary gravitational waves, constructed from ppBHPT training data with domain decomposition for retrograde modes and calibrated to NR simulations.
-
Evidence for eccentricity in the population of binary black holes observed by LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA
Bayesian inference on LVK O1-O3 events with eccentric aligned-spin waveforms yields log10 Bayes factors of 1.77-4.75 favoring eccentricity for GW200129, GW190701 and GW200208_22, and >99.5% probability that at least one of 57 events is eccentric under an astrophysically motivated rate prior.
-
Closed-form solutions of spinning, eccentric binary black holes at 1.5 post-Newtonian order
Two closed-form solutions for the 1.5PN Hamiltonian of spinning eccentric binary black holes are derived by combining prior methods, implemented in the public BBHpnToolkit package, and verified against numerical integration.
-
Action-angle variables of a binary black hole with arbitrary eccentricity, spins, and masses at 1.5 post-Newtonian order
Derives the fifth action for 1.5PN BBH with arbitrary eccentricity, spins, and masses, completing action-angle variables for analytical dynamics solution.
-
Computationally efficient models for the dominant and sub-dominant harmonic modes of precessing binary black holes
IMRPhenomXPHM is a new computationally efficient phenomenological model for precessing binary black hole gravitational-wave signals that incorporates higher-order modes via twisting-up maps from non-precessing waveforms.
-
Gravitational-wave constraints on $H_0$ are robust to (putative) redshift evolution in the binary black hole mass spectrum at current sensitivity
Spectral-siren H0 constraints from GWTC-4.0 binary black holes remain robust when the mass spectrum is permitted to evolve with redshift at current detector sensitivity.
-
Nucleosynthesis in the fast ejecta of a neutron star merger
Free neutrons survive r-process freeze-out in fast ejecta of neutron star mergers and their beta-decay heating produces a visible early kilonova precursor for mass fractions above ~0.05.
-
Constraints on primordial black holes from the first part of LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA fourth observing run
LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O4a data yields the strongest constraints on primordial black hole abundance for 0.6-100 solar masses, with resolvable mergers dominating the limits and no compelling evidence for a PBH contribution in joint fits with astrophysical black holes.
-
Assessing the imprint of eccentricity in GW signatures using two independent waveform models
Dual-model analysis of 162 GW sources disfavors eccentricity for most events but finds potential evidence in GW200129, GW231001, and GW231123.
-
The Impact of Spin Priors on Parameterized Tests of General Relativity
Spin prior choices propagate into tests of GR via the 1.5PN deviation parameter δφ̂3 in a non-trivial, event-dependent way, with stronger effects for short-inspiral events and partial degeneracy with χ_eff when the deviation is included.
-
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.
-
Purely Quadratic Non-Gaussianity from Tachyonic Instability: Primordial Black Holes and Scalar-Induced Gravitational Waves
Purely quadratic non-Gaussianity from tachyonic instability allows narrow curvature spectra to exponentially suppress primordial black hole overproduction via correlation coefficient ρ approaching -1 while retaining sizable scalar-induced gravitational waves.
-
Bayesian Analysis of Gravitational Wave Microlensing Effects from Galactic Double White Dwarfs
Bayesian analysis of simulated Taiji observations shows microlensing from lenses above 10^5 solar masses can be distinguished from unlensed DWD signals when separation is below 3 Einstein radii, while lower masses or larger separations cannot.
-
Inference of recoil kicks from binary black hole mergers up to GWTC--4 and their astrophysical implications
Recoil kicks are inferred for GWTC-4 binary black hole events with values up to nearly 1000 km/s for some, yielding retention probabilities of 1-5% in globular clusters and 70-100% in elliptical galaxies.
-
Confronting eikonal and post-Kerr methods with numerical evolution of scalar field perturbations in spacetimes beyond Kerr
Numerical simulations benchmark the eikonal and post-Kerr approximations for quasinormal modes in deformed Kerr spacetimes, quantifying their errors relative to expected observational precision.
-
Gravitational-wave parameter estimation to the Moon and back: massive binaries and the case of GW231123
LGWA could observe more than one third of known binary black hole events, detect ~90 mergers per year, and measure chirp mass better than third-generation detectors for massive systems.
-
Gravitational Atoms from Topological Stars
Bound states of a massive scalar field around topological stars form strictly normal modes, producing a hydrogen-like spectrum when the Compton wavelength exceeds the star size and localized states otherwise.
-
Global time-frequency search for stellar-mass binary black holes in LISA
A time-frequency semi-coherent search pipeline detects stellar-mass BBH inspirals in LISA data down to coherent SNR of approximately 11-14 on the Yorsh data challenge for aligned-spin, low-eccentricity systems.
-
Biased parameter inference of eccentric, spin-precessing binary black holes
Eccentric BBH signals recovered with quasi-circular precessing models show biases in chirp mass and χ_p; Bayes factors favor eccentric aligned-spin models when both eccentricity and precession are present.
-
Neural Post-Einsteinian Test of General Relativity with the Third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog
Neural post-Einsteinian analysis of GWTC-3 finds no GR violation and sets constraints covering both post-Newtonian and beyond-post-Newtonian deviations in a single theory-agnostic setup.