Binary black hole population properties inferred from the first and second observing runs of advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo

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Abbott, B. P. and Angelova, S. V. and Lockerbie, Nicholas and Reid, S., LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration (2019) Binary black hole population properties inferred from the first and second observing runs of advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 882 (2). L24. ISSN 2041-8213 (https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab3800)

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Abstract

We present results on the mass, spin, and redshift distributions with phenomenological population models using the 10 binary black hole (BBH) mergers detected in the first and second observing runs completed by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We constrain properties of the BBH mass spectrum using models with a range of parameterizations of the BBH mass and spin distributions. We find that the mass distribution of the more massive BH in such binaries is well approximated by models with no more than 1% of BHs more massive than 45 M and a power-law index of (90% credibility). We also show that BBHs are unlikely to be composed of BHs with large spins aligned to the orbital angular momentum. Modeling the evolution of the BBH merger rate with redshift, we show that it is flat or increasing with redshift with 93% probability. Marginalizing over uncertainties in the BBH population, we find robust estimates of the BBH merger rate density of R= (90% credibility). As the BBH catalog grows in future observing runs, we expect that uncertainties in the population model parameters will shrink, potentially providing insights into the formation of BHs via supernovae, binary interactions of massive stars, stellar cluster dynamics, and the formation history of BHs across cosmic time.

ORCID iDs

Abbott, B. P., Angelova, S. V., Lockerbie, Nicholas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1678-3260 and Reid, S.;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:70339
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    9 September 2019
    Published
    21 July 2019
    Accepted
    Notes:This research article is multi-authored. Please consult the manuscript for full attribution details.
    Subjects:Science > Physics
    Department:Faculty of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
    Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:29 Oct 2019 11:52
    Last modified:18 Dec 2024 05:40
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/70339
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