Improved analysis of GW150914 using a fully spin-precessing waveform model
Source
Physical Review X
Date Issued
2016-01-01
Author(s)
Abbott, B. P.
Abbott, R.
Abbott, T. D.
Abernathy, M. R.
Acernese, F.
Ackley, K.
Adams, C.
Adams, T.
Addesso, P.
Adhikari, R. X.
Adya, V. B.
Affeldt, C.
Agathos, M.
Agatsuma, K.
Aggarwal, N.
Aguiar, O. D.
Aiello, L.
Ain, A.
Ajith, P.
Allen, B.
Allocca, A.
Altin, P. A.
Anderson, S. B.
Anderson, W. G.
Arai, K.
Araya, M. C.
Arceneaux, C. C.
Areeda, J. S.
Arnaud, N.
Arun, K. G.
Ascenzi, S.
Ashton, G.
Ast, M.
Aston, S. M.
Astone, P.
Aufmuth, P.
Aulbert, C.
Babak, S.
Bacon, P.
Bader, M. K.M.
Baker, P. T.
Baldaccini, F.
Ballardin, G.
Ballmer, S. W.
Barayoga, J. C.
Barclay, S. E.
Barish, B. C.
Barker, D.
Barone, F.
Barr, B.
Barsotti, L.
Barsuglia, M.
Barta, D.
Bartlett, J.
Bartos, I.
Bassiri, R.
Basti, A.
Batch, J. C.
Baune, C.
Bavigadda, V.
Bazzan, M.
Bejger, M.
Bell, A. S.
Berger, B. K.
Bergmann, G.
Berry, C. P.L.
Bersanetti, D.
Bertolini, A.
Betzwieser, J.
Bhagwat, S.
Bhandare, R.
Bilenko, I. A.
Billingsley, G.
Birch, J.
Birney, R.
Birnholtz, O.
Biscans, S.
Bisht, A.
Bitossi, M.
Biwer, C.
Bizouard, M. A.
Blackburn, J. K.
Blair, C. D.
Blair, D. G.
Blair, R. M.
Bloemen, S.
Bock, O.
Boer, M.
Bogaert, G.
Bogan, C.
Bohe, A.
Bond, C.
Bondu, F.
Bonnand, R.
Boom, B. A.
Bork, R.
Boschi, V.
Bose, S.
Bouffanais, Y.
Bozzi, A.
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) in 2015 [Abbott et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016).]. Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016).] presented parameter estimation of the source using a 13-dimensional, phenomenological precessing-spin model (precessing IMRPhenom) and an 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 precessingspin waveform model (precessing EOBNR) developed within the EOB formalism. We find good agreement with the parameters estimated previously [Abbott et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016).], and we quote updated component masses of 35 <sup>+5</sup> <inf>-3</inf> M· and 30 <sup>+5</sup> <inf>-3</inf> M· (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. Abbott et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016).] 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.