GW170608 : observation of a 19 solar-mass binary black hole coalescence

Abbott, B. P. and Birney, R. and Jawahar, S. and Lockerbie, N. A. and Reid, S. and Tokmakov, K. V., LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration (2017) GW170608 : observation of a 19 solar-mass binary black hole coalescence. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 851 (2). pp. 1-11. ISSN 2041-8213 (https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa9f0c)

[thumbnail of Abbott-etal-AJL-2017-GW170608-observation-of-a-19-solar-mass-binary-black-hole-coalescence]
Preview
Text. Filename: Abbott_etal_AJL_2017_GW170608_observation_of_a_19_solar_mass_binary_black_hole_coalescence.pdf
Final Published Version
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 logo

Download (1MB)| Preview

Abstract

On 2017 June 8 at 02:01:16.49 UTC, a gravitational-wave (GW) signal from the merger of two stellar-mass black holes was observed by the two Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory detectors with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13. This system is the lightest black hole binary so far observed, with component masses of 12+7-2M• and 7+2-2M• (90% credible intervals). These lie in the range of measured black hole masses in low-mass X-ray binaries, thus allowing us to compare black holes detected through GWs with electromagnetic observations. The source's luminosity distance is 340+140-140Mpc, corresponding to redshift 0.07+0.03-0.03. We verify that the signal waveform is consistent with the predictions of general relativity.