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.
hub Canonical reference
The first gravitational-wave source from the isolated evolution of two 40-100 Msun stars
Canonical reference. 100% of citing Pith papers cite this work as background.
10
Pith papers citing it
Background
100% of classified citations
abstract
The merger of two massive 30 Msun black holes has been detected in gravitational waves (1,GW150914). This discovery validates recent predictions (2-4) that massive binary black holes would constitute the first detection. However, previous calculations have not sampled the relevant binary black hole progenitors---massive, low-metallicity binary stars---with sufficient accuracy and input physics to enable robust predictions to better than several orders of magnitude (5-10). Here we report a suite of high-precision numerical simulations of binary black hole formation via the evolution of isolated binary stars, providing a framework to interpret GW150914 and predict the properties of subsequent binary black hole gravitational-wave events. Our models imply that these events form in an environment where the metallicity is less than 10 percent of solar; have initial masses of 40-100 Msun; and interact through mass transfer and a common envelope phase. Their progenitors likely form either at 2 Gyr, or somewhat less likely, at 11 Gyr after the Big Bang. Most binary black holes form without supernova explosions, and their spins are nearly unchanged since birth, but do not have to be parallel. The classical field formation of binary black holes proposed in this study, with low natal kicks and restricted common envelope evolution, produces 40 times more binary black holes than dynamical formation channels involving globular clusters (11) and is comparable to the rate from homogeneous evolution channels (12-15). Our calculations predict detections of about 1,000 black hole mergers per year with total mass of 20-80 Msun once second generation ground-based gravitational wave observatories reach full sensitivity.
hub tools
citation-role summary
background 6
citation-polarity summary
roles
background 6polarities
background 6representative citing papers
Multiband observations of eccentric binary black holes can constrain dipole-radiation deviations from general relativity to |b| ≲ 10^{-7} for a GW231123-like event when combining one year of space-based data with ground-informed priors.
Millicharged particles weaken pulsational pair-instability in massive stars, shifting the lower edge of the black hole mass gap upward and turning gravitational wave observations into a probe for particles with masses 35-200 keV and charges 10^{-10} to 10^{-9}.
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.
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.
Dual-model analysis of 162 GW sources disfavors eccentricity for most events but finds potential evidence in GW200129, GW231001, and GW231123.
Spin sorting with the default spin model distinguishes spinning and nonspinning binary black hole populations in simulations and shows real data rule out a fully nonspinning population but allow mixed ones with up to 80% nonspinning sources.
GWKokab is a new modular JAX framework that uses normalizing flow samplers for efficient inference on subpopulations of compact binary mergers.
Primordial black holes in specific mass ranges could account for some or all dark matter while resolving structure-formation and seed problems in standard cosmology.
A review summarizing established modeling techniques, open questions, and research directions for three classes of LISA gravitational wave sources.
citing papers explorer
-
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.
-
Constraining Dipole Radiation with Multiband Gravitational Waves from Eccentric Binary Black Holes
Multiband observations of eccentric binary black holes can constrain dipole-radiation deviations from general relativity to |b| ≲ 10^{-7} for a GW231123-like event when combining one year of space-based data with ground-informed priors.
-
The Black Hole Mass Gap as a New Probe of Millicharged Particles
Millicharged particles weaken pulsational pair-instability in massive stars, shifting the lower edge of the black hole mass gap upward and turning gravitational wave observations into a probe for particles with masses 35-200 keV and charges 10^{-10} to 10^{-9}.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Disentangling spinning and nonspinning binary black hole populations with spin sorting
Spin sorting with the default spin model distinguishes spinning and nonspinning binary black hole populations in simulations and shows real data rule out a fully nonspinning population but allow mixed ones with up to 80% nonspinning sources.
-
An Implementation to Identify the Properties of Multiple Population of Gravitational Wave Sources
GWKokab is a new modular JAX framework that uses normalizing flow samplers for efficient inference on subpopulations of compact binary mergers.
-
Primordial Black Holes as Dark Matter: Recent Developments
Primordial black holes in specific mass ranges could account for some or all dark matter while resolving structure-formation and seed problems in standard cosmology.
-
Astrophysics with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
A review summarizing established modeling techniques, open questions, and research directions for three classes of LISA gravitational wave sources.