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arXiv · 1911.02588

Numerical relativity simulation of GW150914 beyond general relativity

Maria Okounkova·Leo C. Stein·Jordan Moxon·Mark A. Scheel·Saul A. Teukolsky
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Abstract

We produce the first astrophysically-relevant numerical binary black hole gravitational waveform in a higher-curvature theory of gravity beyond general relativity. We simulate a system with parameters consistent with GW150914, the first LIGO detection, in order-reduced dynamical Chern-Simons gravity, a theory with motivations in string theory and loop quantum gravity. We present results for the leading-order corrections to the merger and ringdown waveforms, as well as the ringdown quasi-normal mode spectrum. We estimate that such corrections may be discriminated in detections with signal to noise ratio $\gtrsim 180-240$, with the precise value depending on the dimension of the GR waveform family used in data analysis.

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Maria Okounkova, Leo C. Stein, Jordan Moxon, Mark A. Scheel, Saul A. Teukolsky. 2019-11-06. Numerical relativity simulation of GW150914 beyond general relativity. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.101.104016

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