Numerical relativity simulations of black hole scattering in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity agree closely with effective-one-body analytic predictions.
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GWTC-4.0: Tests of General Relativity. I. Overview and General Tests
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abstract
The worldwide LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network of gravitational-wave (GW) detectors continues to increase in sensitivity, thus increasing the quantity and quality of the detected GW signals from compact binary coalescences. These signals allow us to perform ever-more sensitive tests of general relativity (GR) in the dynamical and strong-field regime of gravity. This paper is the first of three, where we present the results of a suite of tests of GR using the binary signals included in the fourth GW Transient Catalog (GWTC-4.0), i.e., up to and including the first part of the fourth observing run of the detectors (O4a). We restrict our analysis to the 91 confident signals, henceforth called events, that were measured by at least two detectors, and have false alarm rates $\le 10^{-3} \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$. These include 42 events from O4a. This first paper presents an overview of the methods, selection of events and GR tests, and serves as a guidemap for all three papers. Here we focus on the four general tests of consistency, where we find no evidence for deviations from our models. Specifically, for all the events considered, we find consistency of the residuals with noise. The final mass and final spin as inferred from the low- and high-frequency parts of the waveform are consistent with each other. We also find no evidence for deviations from the GR predictions for the amplitudes of subdominant GW multipole moments, or for non-GR modes of polarization. We thus find that GR, without new physics beyond it, is still consistent with these GW events. The results of the two additional papers in this trio also find overall consistency with vacuum GR, with more than 90% of the events being consistent with GR at the 90% credible level. While one of the ringdown analyses finds the GR value in the tails for its combined results, this may be due in part to catalog variance.
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2026 36representative citing papers
A first-principles energy-function calculation determines the quartic coefficient b0 whose sign sets the order of the spontaneous-scalarization phase transition in scalar-tensor neutron stars.
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.
Direct waves in filtered Schwarzschild ringdown are the anti-causal filter-pole contribution sourced by near-horizon trajectory dynamics and do not vanish.
Bayesian analysis of GW230627 and GW250114 finds no deviation from GR at 4PN and 4.5PN orders, setting the first empirical baseline with 90% intervals of order O(1)-O(10).
Develops modified Teukolsky formalism for EMRIs in higher-derivative gravity and computes horizon and infinity fluxes for cubic gravity example.
A cross-correlation search of ~11,000 event pairs in GWTC-4 including sub-threshold candidates finds no lensed GW pairs above 3σ, setting an upper bound of ≤1.5/yr on the lensing rate.
In massive scalar-tensor gravity, rotating neutron stars that collapse emit nearly the same tensor gravitational waves as in general relativity, but lose about 10^-3 solar masses of energy in scalar radiation - far more than the quadrupole channel.
Gravitational electric-magnetic duality at the light ring organizes and preserves quasinormal mode isospectrality in GR and selects duality-invariant higher-derivative corrections in effective field theories.
For a loud stellar-mass black hole binary, adding realistic orbital eccentricity to multiband Bayesian analysis weakens dipole-radiation constraints to |b|≲10⁻⁷, with strong degeneracies among dipole strength, chirp mass, and eccentricity.
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.
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.
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.
GreyRing model based on greybody factors reproduces numerical relativity ringdown signals with mismatches of order 10^{-6} and enables a new post-merger consistency test of general relativity applied to GW250114.
Leading-order deviations from general relativity in scalar quasinormal modes of rotating black holes are computed numerically up to dimensionless spins of 0.99 in quadratic-curvature scalar-tensor theories.
Numerical relativity in the decoupling limit reveals dynamical scalarization and spin-induced (de)scalarization during hyperbolic black hole encounters for both signs of the coupling.
Bayesian analysis finds individual QNM frequencies near avoided crossings hard to resolve even under optimistic conditions, though collective AC waveform signatures may remain detectable if those modes dominate and slower-mode contamination is minimal.
Adding the electromagnetic polarization-angle prior to a PPE test of GW170817 tightens the scalar-breathing amplitude bound by ~60% and yields a non-significant ~2–3σ preference for a scalar mode.
Leading-order cubic-curvature corrections to scalar quasinormal modes of black holes with spins up to 0.99M are computed numerically for modes up to l=5 with relative errors below 10^{-4}.
Third-generation gravitational-wave detectors can constrain frequency-dependent beyond-GR waveform modifications in the stochastic background, but modified propagation effects remain degenerate with astrophysical population parameters.
Bilby-antiglitch jointly models astrophysical signals and quasi-physical glitches to recover true source properties from simulated gravitational wave data contaminated by loud non-Gaussian transients.
An idealized Gaussian model demonstrates that single-event correlations inflate uncertainties in population correlations and that catalog-wide correlated biases can be misread as population correlations.
ET-Δ outperforms ET-2L on luminosity distance and source-frame masses for BBH events because its redundancy produces higher multi-detector uptime under realistic duty-cycle modeling.
92% of 91 LIGO black hole mergers favor non-zero V_GW, constraining bound remnants to at most 8% and finding no cosmological handedness preference with average near zero.
citing papers explorer
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Black-Hole Scattering in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet: Numerical Relativity Meets Analytics
Numerical relativity simulations of black hole scattering in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity agree closely with effective-one-body analytic predictions.
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Underlying mechanisms of phase transitions in scalar-tensor theories
A first-principles energy-function calculation determines the quartic coefficient b0 whose sign sets the order of the spontaneous-scalarization phase transition in scalar-tensor neutron stars.
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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.
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Foundations of Direct Waves in Schwarzschild Ringdown
Direct waves in filtered Schwarzschild ringdown are the anti-causal filter-pole contribution sourced by near-horizon trajectory dynamics and do not vanish.
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Tests of general relativity at the fourth post-Newtonian order with GW230627 and GW250114
Bayesian analysis of GW230627 and GW250114 finds no deviation from GR at 4PN and 4.5PN orders, setting the first empirical baseline with 90% intervals of order O(1)-O(10).
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Modified Teukolsky Formalism for Extreme Mass-Ratio Inspirals in Higher-Derivative Gravity
Develops modified Teukolsky formalism for EMRIs in higher-derivative gravity and computes horizon and infinity fluxes for cubic gravity example.
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Model-Independent Search Discards Faint Lensed-Pairs of Gravitational Wave Events in the Sub-Threshold Candidates of GWTC-4
A cross-correlation search of ~11,000 event pairs in GWTC-4 including sub-threshold candidates finds no lensed GW pairs above 3σ, setting an upper bound of ≤1.5/yr on the lensing rate.
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Rapidly Rotating Neutron Star Collapse in Massive Scalar-Tensor Theories
In massive scalar-tensor gravity, rotating neutron stars that collapse emit nearly the same tensor gravitational waves as in general relativity, but lose about 10^-3 solar masses of energy in scalar radiation - far more than the quadrupole channel.
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Gravitational electric-magnetic duality at the light ring and quasinormal mode isospectrality in effective field theories
Gravitational electric-magnetic duality at the light ring organizes and preserves quasinormal mode isospectrality in GR and selects duality-invariant higher-derivative corrections in effective field theories.
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Constraining Dipole Radiation with Multiband Gravitational Waves from Eccentric Binary Black Holes
For a loud stellar-mass black hole binary, adding realistic orbital eccentricity to multiband Bayesian analysis weakens dipole-radiation constraints to |b|≲10⁻⁷, with strong degeneracies among dipole strength, chirp mass, and eccentricity.
-
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.
-
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.
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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.
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Novel ringdown tests of general relativity with black hole greybody factors
GreyRing model based on greybody factors reproduces numerical relativity ringdown signals with mismatches of order 10^{-6} and enables a new post-merger consistency test of general relativity applied to GW250114.
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Quadratic gravity corrections to scalar QNMs of rapidly rotating black holes
Leading-order deviations from general relativity in scalar quasinormal modes of rotating black holes are computed numerically up to dimensionless spins of 0.99 in quadratic-curvature scalar-tensor theories.
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Scalarization and descalarization in hyperbolic encounters of black holes
Numerical relativity in the decoupling limit reveals dynamical scalarization and spin-induced (de)scalarization during hyperbolic black hole encounters for both signs of the coupling.
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Detectability of avoided crossings in black hole ringdowns
Bayesian analysis finds individual QNM frequencies near avoided crossings hard to resolve even under optimistic conditions, though collective AC waveform signatures may remain detectable if those modes dominate and slower-mode contamination is minimal.
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Tests of scalar polarizations with multi-messenger events
Adding the electromagnetic polarization-angle prior to a PPE test of GW170817 tightens the scalar-breathing amplitude bound by ~60% and yields a non-significant ~2–3σ preference for a scalar mode.
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Ringing of rapidly rotating black holes in effective field theory
Leading-order cubic-curvature corrections to scalar quasinormal modes of black holes with spins up to 0.99M are computed numerically for modes up to l=5 with relative errors below 10^{-4}.
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Modeling Uncertainties in Modified Gravity Predictions for the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background
Third-generation gravitational-wave detectors can constrain frequency-dependent beyond-GR waveform modifications in the stochastic background, but modified propagation effects remain degenerate with astrophysical population parameters.
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A parametric signal plus noise inference framework for short duration non-Gaussian noise transients
Bilby-antiglitch jointly models astrophysical signals and quasi-physical glitches to recover true source properties from simulated gravitational wave data contaminated by loud non-Gaussian transients.
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Population-level correlations in Bayesian statistics: an illustrative model for gravitational-wave astronomy
An idealized Gaussian model demonstrates that single-event correlations inflate uncertainties in population correlations and that catalog-wide correlated biases can be misread as population correlations.
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Impact of the Einstein Telescope's duty cycle on the estimation of binary black holes parameters
ET-Δ outperforms ET-2L on luminosity distance and source-frame masses for BBH events because its redundancy produces higher multi-detector uptime under realistic duty-cycle modeling.
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Intrinsic handedness in O1-O4a black-hole mergers: probing orbital precession, remnant retention in dense environments and cosmological mirror asymmetry
92% of 91 LIGO black hole mergers favor non-zero V_GW, constraining bound remnants to at most 8% and finding no cosmological handedness preference with average near zero.
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Constraining Gravitational Wave Memory with Hierarchical Inference
Hierarchical Bayesian inference on GWTC-5.0 constrains the memory enhancement factor to 0.26 with large uncertainties consistent with the GR value of 1 and forecasts that 2000 detections are needed for a 1σ constraint away from zero.
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Probing (sub-)solar-mass black holes and superspinars with current and next-generation gravitational-wave observatories
Using TaylorF2 post-Newtonian waveforms truncated at ISCO, the study finds that Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer can reach SNR of 100-350 and measure primary spin to 10^{-4}-10^{-3} precision for 0.1-2 solar mass exotic compact objects.
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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.
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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.
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Environmental effects vs. modified gravity in the LISA massive black hole binary population
Population-level hierarchical analysis shows environmental effects from circumbinary disks are unlikely to bias LISA tests of general relativity for massive black hole binaries in realistic scenarios.
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Gravitational Wave Propagation in K-essence Cosmology: Theory and Observational Constraints
K-essence cosmology induces a redshift-dependent effective mass on gravitational waves, causing phase shifts that link scalar field dynamics to GW observables without changing wave speed or luminosity distance.
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Mitigating Systematic Errors in Parameter Estimation of Binary Black Hole Mergers in O1-O3 LIGO-Virgo Data
Reanalysis of flagged LVK events with waveform uncertainty models produces consistent spin and precession inferences across raw/deglitched data and multiple waveform approximants.
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Improved Constraints on Non-Kerr Deviations from Binary Black Hole Inspirals Using GWTC-4 Data
GWTC-4 inspirals yield tighter constraints on Johannsen parameters α13 and ε3, both consistent with zero and thus with the Kerr geometry.
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VIGILant: an automatic classification pipeline for glitches in the Virgo detector
VIGILant applies tree-based models and a ResNet CNN to classify Virgo O3b glitches with 98% accuracy and has been deployed for daily use with an interactive dashboard.
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The first decade of gravitational-wave measurements of black hole spins
A decade of gravitational-wave data shows most merging stellar-mass black holes have small spins, with subdominant fast-spinning, misaligned, and hierarchical-merger populations.
- Parametric resonance amplification of gravitational waves in dynamical Chern-Simons gravity
- GW240925 and GW250207: Astrophysical Calibration of Gravitational-wave Detectors