Modeling the source of GW150914 with targeted numerical-relativity simulations

Document #:

LIGO-P1600198-v11

Document type:

P - Publications

Abstract:

In fall of 2015, the two LIGO detectors measured the gravitational wave signal GW150914, which originated from a pair of merging black holes [1]. In the final 0.2 seconds (about 8 gravitational-wave cycles) before the amplitude reached its maximum, the observed signal swept up in amplitude and frequency, from 35 Hz to 150 Hz. The theoretical gravitational-wave signal for merging black holes, as predicted by general relativity, can be computed only by full numerical relativity, because analytic approximations fail near the time of merger. Moreover, the nearly-equal masses, moderate spins, and small number of orbits of GW150914 are especially straightforward and efficient to simulate with modern numerical-relativity codes. In this paper, we report the modeling of GW150914 with numerical-relativity simulations, using black-hole masses and spins consistent with those inferred from LIGO’s measurement [2]. In particular, we employ two independent numerical-relativity codes that use completely different analytical and numerical methods to model the same merging black holes and to compute the emitted gravitational waveform; we find excellent agreement between the waveforms produced by the two independent codes. These results demonstrate the validity, impact, and potential of current and future studies using rapid-response, targeted numerical-relativity simulations for better understanding gravitational-wave observations.

Files in Document:

• paper.pdf (452.4 kB)

Topics:

• Compact Binaries
• GW source predictions

Authors:

• Geoffrey Lovelace
• Carlos Lousto
• James Healy
• Mark Scheel
• Alyssa Garcia
• Richard O'Shaughnessy
• Mike Boyle
• Manuela Campanelli
• Daniel Hemberger
• Lawrence Kidder
• Harald Pfeiffer
• Bela Szilagyi
• Saul Teukolsky
• Yosef Zlochower

Keywords:

numerical relativity merging binary black hole comparison GW150914

Notes and Changes:

Submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravity and to the arXiv. Therefore, we request making this dcc page public. The latest version of the paper is the version on the arXiv, and we will update the arXiv, CQG, and DCC in sync.