Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521

The gravitational-wave signal GW190521 is consistent with a binary black hole (BBH) merger source at redshift 0.8 with unusually high component masses, 85-14+21 M o˙ and 66-18+17 M o˙, compared to previously reported events, and shows mild evidence for spin-induced orbital precession. The primary fa...

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Автори: LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration
Інші автори: LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Формат: Стаття
Мова:English
Опубліковано: American Astronomical Society 2021
Онлайн доступ:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/132487
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author LIGO Scientific Collaboration
Virgo Collaboration
author2 LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
author_facet LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
LIGO Scientific Collaboration
Virgo Collaboration
author_sort LIGO Scientific Collaboration
collection MIT
description The gravitational-wave signal GW190521 is consistent with a binary black hole (BBH) merger source at redshift 0.8 with unusually high component masses, 85-14+21 M o˙ and 66-18+17 M o˙, compared to previously reported events, and shows mild evidence for spin-induced orbital precession. The primary falls in the mass gap predicted by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova theory, in the approximate range 65-120 M o˙. The probability that at least one of the black holes in GW190521 is in that range is 99.0%. The final mass of the merger (142-16+28 M o˙) classifies it as an intermediate-mass black hole. Under the assumption of a quasi-circular BBH coalescence, we detail the physical properties of GW190521's source binary and its post-merger remnant, including component masses and spin vectors. Three different waveform models, as well as direct comparison to numerical solutions of general relativity, yield consistent estimates of these properties. Tests of strong-field general relativity targeting the merger-ringdown stages of the coalescence indicate consistency of the observed signal with theoretical predictions. We estimate the merger rate of similar systems to be 0.13-0.11+0.30 Gpc-3 yr-1. We discuss the astrophysical implications of GW190521 for stellar collapse and for the possible formation of black holes in the pair-instability mass gap through various channels: via (multiple) stellar coalescences, or via hierarchical mergers of lower-mass black holes in star clusters or in active galactic nuclei. We find it to be unlikely that GW190521 is a strongly lensed signal of a lower-mass black hole binary merger. We also discuss more exotic possible sources for GW190521, including a highly eccentric black hole binary, or a primordial black hole binary.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1324872023-01-06T18:24:35Z Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521 LIGO Scientific Collaboration Virgo Collaboration LIGO (Observatory : Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research The gravitational-wave signal GW190521 is consistent with a binary black hole (BBH) merger source at redshift 0.8 with unusually high component masses, 85-14+21 M o˙ and 66-18+17 M o˙, compared to previously reported events, and shows mild evidence for spin-induced orbital precession. The primary falls in the mass gap predicted by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova theory, in the approximate range 65-120 M o˙. The probability that at least one of the black holes in GW190521 is in that range is 99.0%. The final mass of the merger (142-16+28 M o˙) classifies it as an intermediate-mass black hole. Under the assumption of a quasi-circular BBH coalescence, we detail the physical properties of GW190521's source binary and its post-merger remnant, including component masses and spin vectors. Three different waveform models, as well as direct comparison to numerical solutions of general relativity, yield consistent estimates of these properties. Tests of strong-field general relativity targeting the merger-ringdown stages of the coalescence indicate consistency of the observed signal with theoretical predictions. We estimate the merger rate of similar systems to be 0.13-0.11+0.30 Gpc-3 yr-1. We discuss the astrophysical implications of GW190521 for stellar collapse and for the possible formation of black holes in the pair-instability mass gap through various channels: via (multiple) stellar coalescences, or via hierarchical mergers of lower-mass black holes in star clusters or in active galactic nuclei. We find it to be unlikely that GW190521 is a strongly lensed signal of a lower-mass black hole binary merger. We also discuss more exotic possible sources for GW190521, including a highly eccentric black hole binary, or a primordial black hole binary. 2021-09-20T18:22:41Z 2021-09-20T18:22:41Z 2020 2020-11-03T17:13:16Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/132487 en 10.3847/2041-8213/aba493 Astrophysical Journal Letters Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society
spellingShingle LIGO Scientific Collaboration
Virgo Collaboration
Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title_full Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title_fullStr Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title_full_unstemmed Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title_short Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521
title_sort properties and astrophysical implications of the 150 m ⊙ binary black hole merger gw190521
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/132487
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