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Exploring field-evolution and dynamical-capture coalescing binary black holes in GWTC-3
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Submitted 15 Apr 2024
abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review
The authors' main claim We find that the rest of BBH population can be categorized into two subpopulations with different mass and mass-ratio distributions, as indicated by a Bayes factor of $\ln\mathcal{B}=1.8$.
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The abstract, sentence by sentence
We investigate formation channels for merging binary black holes (BBHs) in GWTC-3, with a dedicated semiparametric population model. The model first describes or excludes a high-spin (with magnitudes of $\sim0.7$) and high-mass (ranging in $\sim 20-80M_{\odot}$) subpopulation, which was identified by previous works and can be interpreted as hierarchical mergers. We find that the rest of BBH population can be categorized into two subpopulations with different mass and mass-ratio distributions, as indicated by a Bayes factor of $\ln\mathcal{B}=1.8$. One subpopulation, characterized by nearly aligned spins and consistent with isolated-field formation, likely dominates the 10-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. The other subpopulation, with isotropic spins and consistent with the dynamical channels, shows a stronger preference for symmetric pairing, and mainly contributes to the 35-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. Note that the Bayes factor is not high enough with the currently available data, so that the case of a single population is still acceptable. Additionally, we compare the mass distributions between merging BBHs and black holes (BHs) in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). We find that the primary mass of the aligned subpopulation is slightly lighter than those of the HMXB BHs, while the isotropic subpopulation is consistent with the HMXB BHs, if the power-law index of its mass function is shifted by 2, as indicated by the dynamical formation channels. However, the spin magnitudes of both subpopulations are significantly smaller than those of the HMXB BHs.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | We investigate formation channels for merging binary black holes (BBHs) in GWTC-3, with a dedicated semiparametric population model. | contribution 0.97 | 0.91 | 0.04 | asserted 0.70 |
| s1 | The model first describes or excludes a high-spin (with magnitudes of $\sim0.7$) and high-mass (ranging in $\sim 20-80M_{\odot}$) subpopulation, which was identified by previous works and can be interpreted as hierarchical mergers. | method 0.75 | 0.21 | 0.07 | asserted 0.59 |
| s2 | We find that the rest of BBH population can be categorized into two subpopulations with different mass and mass-ratio distributions, as indicated by a Bayes factor of $\ln\mathcal{B}=1.8$. | result 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.28 | asserted 0.89 |
| s3 | One subpopulation, characterized by nearly aligned spins and consistent with isolated-field formation, likely dominates the 10-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. | result 0.62 | 0.84 | 0.16 | hedged possibility 1.00 |
| s4 | The other subpopulation, with isotropic spins and consistent with the dynamical channels, shows a stronger preference for symmetric pairing, and mainly contributes to the 35-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. | result 0.80 | 0.90 | 0.15 | asserted 0.74 |
| s5 | Note that the Bayes factor is not high enough with the currently available data, so that the case of a single population is still acceptable. | limitation 0.99 | 0.73 | 0.07 | asserted 0.67 |
| s6 | Additionally, we compare the mass distributions between merging BBHs and black holes (BHs) in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). | contribution 0.81 | 0.86 | 0.03 | asserted 0.69 |
| s7 | We find that the primary mass of the aligned subpopulation is slightly lighter than those of the HMXB BHs, while the isotropic subpopulation is consistent with the HMXB BHs, if the power-law index of its mass function is shifted by 2, as indicated by the dynamical formation channels. | result 0.90 | 0.94 | 0.10 | hedged possibility 0.60 |
| s8 | However, the spin magnitudes of both subpopulations are significantly smaller than those of the HMXB BHs. | result 1.00 | 0.91 | 0.06 | asserted 1.00 |
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The paper
Original abstract
We investigate formation channels for merging binary black holes (BBHs) in GWTC-3, with a dedicated semiparametric population model. The model first describes or excludes a high-spin (with magnitudes of $\sim0.7$) and high-mass (ranging in $\sim 20-80M_{\odot}$) subpopulation, which was identified by previous works and can be interpreted as hierarchical mergers. We find that the rest of BBH population can be categorized into two subpopulations with different mass and mass-ratio distributions, as indicated by a Bayes factor of $\ln\mathcal{B}=1.8$. One subpopulation, characterized by nearly aligned spins and consistent with isolated-field formation, likely dominates the 10-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. The other subpopulation, with isotropic spins and consistent with the dynamical channels, shows a stronger preference for symmetric pairing, and mainly contributes to the 35-solar-mass peak in the primary-mass function. Note that the Bayes factor is not high enough with the currently available data, so that the case of a single population is still acceptable. Additionally, we compare the mass distributions between merging BBHs and black holes (BHs) in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). We find that the primary mass of the aligned subpopulation is slightly lighter than those of the HMXB BHs, while the isotropic subpopulation is consistent with the HMXB BHs, if the power-law index of its mass function is shifted by 2, as indicated by the dynamical formation channels. However, the spin magnitudes of both subpopulations are significantly smaller than those of the HMXB BHs.
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References
How the literature uses it
8 arXiv papers cite this in 16 sentences
Papers citing it · 11 sentences without a confident label
Uses its data or values 1 paper
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Fortunately, the direct detection of binary black hole mergers provides constraints on the mass distribution (e.g., $⟨ℳ_c^5/3⟩$), the local merger rate $ℛ^BBH_0$, and the leading slope parameter $α_z$ [ref] .
Forecast Analysis of Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background beyond general relativity: A Case Study on Brans-Dicke Gravity · Waveform-Based Constraints · 0.81
Compares with it 1 paper
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Different from the results in this work, as well as our previous works [ref] , they report the lower-edge of the PIMG to be $∼84 M_⊙$ and $H_0 ∼36 Mpc^-1 km s^-1$.
Multi-spectral Sirens: Gravitational-wave Cosmology with (Multi-) Sub-populations of Binary Black Holes · Summary and Discussion · 0.95
Cites it as support 1 paper
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These findings have been supported by subsequent studies [ref] .
Multi-spectral Sirens: Gravitational-wave Cosmology with (Multi-) Sub-populations of Binary Black Holes · Introduction · 0.99
Cites it as background 2 papers
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Researches on the observed events have revealed some broad features for the distribution of their measured properties, such as the BBH mass distribution has substructure beyond a smooth truncated power law [ref] , the observed black hole spins are small [ref] with some of their tilts misaligned to the orbital angular momentum [ref] , the mass-ratio distribution evolves with the primary mass [ref] , and the merger rate evolution remains consistent with the star formation rate [ref] .
The Heavier the Faster: A Sub-population of Heavy, Rapidly Spinning and Quickly Evolving Binary Black Holes · Introduction · 0.82
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The distribution of individual BH spins and of the precessing spin parameter $χ_p$ [ref] have also been leveraged in attempts to identify a dynamically-formed population in the data [ref] , and correlations between BH spins and binary mass ratio [ref] and possibly redshift [ref] have been inferred from the data.
A Star Cluster Population of High Mass Black Hole Mergers in Gravitational Wave Data · Introduction · 0.80
What it cites · 22 sentences without a confident label
Uses data or values from 1 paper
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As for the GW data, we use the `C01:Mixed' posterior samples of BBHs in GWTC-3 [ref] , adopted from the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center[<https://www.gw-openscience.org/eventapi/html/GWTC/>].
GWTC-2.1: Deep Extended Catalog of Compact Binary Coalescences Observed by LIGO and Virgo During the First Half of the Third Observing Run · Framework and data · 1.00
Compares with 1 paper
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For instance, in the model presented by [ref] , the spins and masses of two BHs in one BBH are allowed to follow different spin-magnitude subpopulations; whereas in the model of [ref] , both BHs in a BBH are assumed to follow the same spin distribution.
Cosmic Cousins: Identification of a Subpopulation of Binary Black Holes Consistent with Isolated Binary Evolution · Introduction · 0.97
Cites as support 3 papers
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This may be because the spin-magnitude distribution will influence the spin-tilt distribution [ref] .
Gravitational waves carry information beyond effective spin parameters but it is hard to extract · Caveats · 0.96
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Such flexible mixture population models (for the mass versus spin distribution) are effective in identifying subpopulations within BBHs, as previously demonstrated by [ref] and [ref] .
Cosmic Cousins: Identification of a Subpopulation of Binary Black Holes Consistent with Isolated Binary Evolution · BBH population models · 0.99
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This scenario is also consistent with the fact that the detected HMXBs are not expected to merge within the Hubble time [ref] .
High Mass X-ray Binaries: Future Evolution and Fate · Comparison with BHs in HMXBs · 0.98
Cites as background 3 papers
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With the rapidly increasing GW detections of compact binary coalescences (CBCs) [ref] , including binary neutron stars (BNSs) [ref] , binary black holes (BBHs) [ref] , and neutron star-black holes (NSBHs) [ref] , we can reveal the formation and evolution of the CBCs through statistical analysis [ref] .
GWTC-2.1: Deep Extended Catalog of Compact Binary Coalescences Observed by LIGO and Virgo During the First Half of the Third Observing Run · Introduction · 0.82
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Generally, formation channels can be divided into two categories: isolated field binary evolution and dynamical formations [ref] .
Astrophysics of stellar black holes · Introduction · 0.92
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Very recently, [ref] searched for binary black hole subpopulations using binned Gaussian processes.
Searching for binary black hole sub-populations in gravitational wave data using binned Gaussian processes · conclusion and discussion · 0.87
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