Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3
The origin of the spins of stellar-mass black holes is still controversial, and angular momentum transport inside massive stars is one of the main sources of uncertainty. Here, we apply hierarchical Bayesian inference to derive constraints on spin models from the 59 most confident binary black hole...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Universe |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/9/12/507 |
| _version_ | 1797379210129440768 |
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| author | Carole Périgois Michela Mapelli Filippo Santoliquido Yann Bouffanais Roberta Rufolo |
| author_facet | Carole Périgois Michela Mapelli Filippo Santoliquido Yann Bouffanais Roberta Rufolo |
| author_sort | Carole Périgois |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The origin of the spins of stellar-mass black holes is still controversial, and angular momentum transport inside massive stars is one of the main sources of uncertainty. Here, we apply hierarchical Bayesian inference to derive constraints on spin models from the 59 most confident binary black hole merger events in the third gravitational-wave transient catalogue (GWTC-3). We consider up to five parameters: chirp mass, mass ratio, redshift, effective spin, and precessing spin. For the model selection, we use a set of binary population synthesis simulations spanning drastically different assumptions for black hole spins and natal kicks. In particular, our spin models range from the maximal to minimal efficiency of angular momentum transport in stars. We find that if we include the precessing spin parameter into our analysis, models predicting only vanishingly small spins are in tension with GWTC-3 data. On the other hand, models in which most spins are vanishingly small but that also include a subpopulation of tidally spun-up black holes are a good match to the data. Our results show that the precessing spin parameter has a crucial impact on model selection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:18:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-228bcc7a03264eb7890d79303eadeab1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:18:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj.art-228bcc7a03264eb7890d79303eadeab12023-12-22T14:46:36ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972023-12-0191250710.3390/universe9120507Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3Carole Périgois0Michela Mapelli1Filippo Santoliquido2Yann Bouffanais3Roberta Rufolo4Physics and Astronomy Department Galileo Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padua, ItalyPhysics and Astronomy Department Galileo Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padua, ItalyPhysics and Astronomy Department Galileo Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padua, ItalyPhysics and Astronomy Department Galileo Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padua, ItalyPhysics and Astronomy Department Galileo Galilei, University of Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padua, ItalyThe origin of the spins of stellar-mass black holes is still controversial, and angular momentum transport inside massive stars is one of the main sources of uncertainty. Here, we apply hierarchical Bayesian inference to derive constraints on spin models from the 59 most confident binary black hole merger events in the third gravitational-wave transient catalogue (GWTC-3). We consider up to five parameters: chirp mass, mass ratio, redshift, effective spin, and precessing spin. For the model selection, we use a set of binary population synthesis simulations spanning drastically different assumptions for black hole spins and natal kicks. In particular, our spin models range from the maximal to minimal efficiency of angular momentum transport in stars. We find that if we include the precessing spin parameter into our analysis, models predicting only vanishingly small spins are in tension with GWTC-3 data. On the other hand, models in which most spins are vanishingly small but that also include a subpopulation of tidally spun-up black holes are a good match to the data. Our results show that the precessing spin parameter has a crucial impact on model selection.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/9/12/507black hole physicsgravitational wavesbinariesgeneralstarsblack holes |
| spellingShingle | Carole Périgois Michela Mapelli Filippo Santoliquido Yann Bouffanais Roberta Rufolo Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 Universe black hole physics gravitational waves binaries general stars black holes |
| title | Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 |
| title_full | Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 |
| title_fullStr | Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 |
| title_short | Binary Black Hole Spins: Model Selection with GWTC-3 |
| title_sort | binary black hole spins model selection with gwtc 3 |
| topic | black hole physics gravitational waves binaries general stars black holes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/9/12/507 |
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