Properties of the binary black hole merger GW150914

B.P. Abbott , G. Cagnoli (1, 2) , J. Degallaix (1) , V. Dolique (1) , R. Flaminio (1) , M. Granata (1) , D. Hofman (1) , C. Michel (1) , R. Pedurand (1) , L. Pinard (1) , B. Sassolas (1) , N. Straniero (1) , T. Adams (3) , R. Bonnand (3) , D. Buskulic (3) , M. Ducrot (3) , V. Germain (3) , R. Gouaty (3) , N. Letendre (3) , F. Marion (3) , A. Masserot (3) , B. Mours (3) , L. Rolland (3) , D. Verkindt (3) , M. Was (3) , M. Yvert (3) , N. Arnaud (4) , M. A. Bizouard (4) , V. Brisson (4) , J. Casanueva Diaz (4) , F. Cavalier (4) , M. Davier (4) , S. Franco (4) , P. Hello (4) , D. Huet (4) , M. Kasprzack (4) , François Bondu (5) , M. Boër (6) , G. Bogaert (6) , A. Brillet (6) , F. Cleva (6) , J.-P. Coulon (6) , H. Dereli (6) , S. Di Pace (6) , D. Fiorucci (6) , J.-D. Fournier (6) , B. Gendre (6) , F. Kéfélian (6) , N. Man (6) , L. Martellini (6) , M. Merzougui (6) , M. Pichot (6) , T. Regimbau (6) , K. Siellez (6) , M. Turconi (6) , J. -Y. Vinet (6) , L.-W. Wei (6)

1 LMA - Laboratoire des matériaux avancés
2 ILM - Institut Lumière Matière [Villeurbanne]
3 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules
4 LAL - Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire
5 IPR - Institut de Physique de Rennes
6 ARTEMIS - Astrophysique Relativiste Théories Expériences Métrologie Instrumentation Signaux

On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detected a gravitational-wave transient (GW150914); we characterise the properties of the source and its parameters. The data around the time of the event were analysed coherently across the LIGO network using a suite of accurate waveform models that describe gravitational waves from a compact binary system in general relativity. GW150914 was produced by a nearly equal mass binary black hole of $36^{+5}_{-4} M_\odot$ and $29^{+4}_{-4} M_\odot$ (for each parameter we report the median value and the range of the 90% credible interval). The dimensionless spin magnitude of the more massive black hole is bound to be $0.7$ (at 90% probability). The luminosity distance to the source is $410^{+160}_{-180}$ Mpc, corresponding to a redshift $0.09^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$ assuming standard cosmology. The source location is constrained to an annulus section of $590$ deg$^2$, primarily in the southern hemisphere. The binary merges into a black hole of $62^{+4}_{-4} M_\odot$ and spin $0.67^{+0.05}_{-0.07}$. This black hole is significantly more massive than any other known in the stellar-mass regime.

Domaines: Relativité Générale et Cosmologie Quantique [gr-qc]; Phénomènes cosmiques de haute energie [astro-ph.HE]

B.P. Abbott, G. Cagnoli, J. Degallaix, V. Dolique, R. Flaminio, et al.. Properties of the binary black hole merger GW150914. Physical Review Letters, 2016, 116 (24), pp.241102. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.241102⟩. ⟨in2p3-01274010⟩