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arXiv · 1606.01210

An improved analysis of GW150914 using a fully spin-precessing waveform model

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration·the Virgo Collaboration·B. P. Abbott·R. Abbott·T. D. Abbott·M. R. Abernathy·F. Acernese·K. Ackley·C. Adams·T. Adams·P. Addesso·R. X. Adhikari·V. B. Adya·C. Affeldt·M. Agathos·K. Agatsuma·N. Aggarwal·O. D. Aguiar·L. Aiello·A. Ain·P. Ajith·B. Allen·A. Allocca·P. A. Altin·S. B. Anderson·W. G. Anderson·K. Arai·M. C. Araya·C. C. Arceneaux·J. S. Areeda·N. Arnaud·K. G. Arun·S. Ascenzi·G. Ashton·M. Ast·S. M. Aston·P. Astone·P. Aufmuth·C. Aulbert·S. Babak·P. Bacon·M. K. M. Bader·P. T. Baker·F. Baldaccini·G. Ballardin·S. W. Ballmer·J. C. Barayoga·S. E. Barclay·B. C. Barish·D. Barker·F. Barone·B. Barr·L. Barsotti·M. Barsuglia·D. Barta·J. Bartlett·I. Bartos·R. Bassiri·A. Basti·J. C. Batch·C. Baune·V. Bavigadda·M. Bazzan·M. Bejger·A. S. Bell·B. K. Berger·G. Bergmann·C. P. L. Berry·D. Bersanetti·A. Bertolini·J. Betzwieser·S. Bhagwat·R. Bhandare·I. A. Bilenko·G. Billingsley·J. Birch·R. Birney·O. Birnholtz·S. Biscans·A. Bisht·M. Bitossi·C. Biwer·M. A. Bizouard·J. K. Blackburn·C. D. Blair·D. G. Blair·R. M. Blair·S. Bloemen·O. Bock·M. Boer·G. Bogaert·C. Bogan·A. Bohe·C. Bond·F. Bondu·R. Bonnand·B. A. Boom·R. Bork·V. Boschi·S. Bose
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Abstract

This paper presents updated estimates of source parameters for GW150914, a binary black-hole coalescence event detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) on September 14, 2015 [1]. Reference presented parameter estimation [2] of the source using a 13-dimensional, phenomenological precessing-spin model (precessing IMRPhenom) and a 11-dimensional nonprecessing effective-one-body (EOB) model calibrated to numerical-relativity simulations, which forces spin alignment (nonprecessing EOBNR). Here we present new results that include a 15-dimensional precessing-spin waveform model (precessing EOBNR) developed within the EOB formalism. We find good agreement with the parameters estimated previously [2], and we quote updated component masses of $35^{+5}_{-3}\mathrm{M}_\odot$ and $30^{+3}_{-4}\mathrm{M}_\odot$ (where errors correspond to 90% symmetric credible intervals). We also present slightly tighter constraints on the dimensionless spin magnitudes of the two black holes, with a primary spin estimate $0.65$ and a secondary spin estimate $0.75$ at 90% probability. Reference [2] estimated the systematic parameter-extraction errors due to waveform-model uncertainty by combining the posterior probability densities of precessing IMRPhenom and nonprecessing EOBNR. Here we find that the two precessing-spin models are in closer agreement, suggesting that these systematic errors are smaller than previously quoted.

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The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, M. R. Abernathy, F. Acernese, K. Ackley, C. Adams, T. Adams, P. Addesso, R. X. Adhikari, V. B. Adya, C. Affeldt, M. Agathos, K. Agatsuma, N. Aggarwal, O. D. Aguiar, L. Aiello, A. Ain, P. Ajith, B. Allen, A. Allocca, P. A. Altin, S. B. Anderson, W. G. Anderson, K. Arai, M. C. Araya, C. C. Arceneaux, J. S. Areeda, N. Arnaud, K. G. Arun, S. Ascenzi, G. Ashton, M. Ast, S. M. Aston, P. Astone, P. Aufmuth, C. Aulbert, S. Babak, P. Bacon, M. K. M. Bader, P. T. Baker, F. Baldaccini, G. Ballardin, S. W. Ballmer, J. C. Barayoga, S. E. Barclay, B. C. Barish, D. Barker, F. Barone, B. Barr, L. Barsotti, M. Barsuglia, D. Barta, J. Bartlett, I. Bartos, R. Bassiri, A. Basti, J. C. Batch, C. Baune, V. Bavigadda, M. Bazzan, M. Bejger, A. S. Bell, B. K. Berger, G. Bergmann, C. P. L. Berry, D. Bersanetti, A. Bertolini, J. Betzwieser, S. Bhagwat, R. Bhandare, I. A. Bilenko, G. Billingsley, J. Birch, R. Birney, O. Birnholtz, S. Biscans, A. Bisht, M. Bitossi, C. Biwer, M. A. Bizouard, J. K. Blackburn, C. D. Blair, D. G. Blair, R. M. Blair, S. Bloemen, O. Bock, M. Boer, G. Bogaert, C. Bogan, A. Bohe, C. Bond, F. Bondu, R. Bonnand, B. A. Boom, R. Bork, V. Boschi, S. Bose. 2016-06-03. An improved analysis of GW150914 using a fully spin-precessing waveform model. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.6.041014

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