New interface

# Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

Abstract : On September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal. The signal sweeps upwards in frequency from 35 to 250 Hz with a peak gravitational-wave strain of $1.0 \times 10^{-21}$. It matches the waveform predicted by general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. The signal was observed with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a false alarm rate estimated to be less than 1 event per 203 000 years, equivalent to a significance greater than 5.1 {\sigma}. The source lies at a luminosity distance of $410^{+160}_{-180}$ Mpc corresponding to a redshift $z = 0.09^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$. In the source frame, the initial black hole masses are $36^{+5}_{-4} M_\odot$ and $29^{+4}_{-4} M_\odot$, and the final black hole mass is $62^{+4}_{-4} M_\odot$, with $3.0^{+0.5}_{-0.5} M_\odot c^2$ radiated in gravitational waves. All uncertainties define 90% credible intervals.These observations demonstrate the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems. This is the first direct detection of gravitational waves and the first observation of a binary black hole merger.
Document type :
Journal articles
Domain :

https://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-01273200
Contributor : Dominique Girod Connect in order to contact the contributor
Submitted on : Thursday, August 11, 2016 - 10:44:40 AM
Last modification on : Saturday, October 8, 2022 - 3:32:20 AM

### Citation

B.P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. d. Abbott, M. r. Abernathy, F. Acernese, et al.. Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger. Physical Review Letters, 2016, 116 (6), pp.061102. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102⟩. ⟨in2p3-01273200⟩

Record views