Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce

Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
California Institute of Technology
Institute of Science Tokyo
University of Salerno
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Warwick
Monash University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Louisiana State University
Australian National University
Leibniz University Hannover
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
University of Cambridge
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Stanford University
Cardiff University
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
University of Turin
University of Glasgow
University of Western Australia
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
University of Naples Federico II
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of British Columbia
Maastricht University
National Institute for Subatomic Physics
Université libre de Bruxelles
University of California at Riverside
Université Paris-Saclay
The University of Tokyo
University of Barcelona
Institute for High Energy Physics
Gran Sasso Science Institute
University of Udine
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Université Côte d'Azur
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Camerino

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite the growing number of binary black hole coalescences confidently observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include the effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that have already been identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total source-frame mass M > 70 M_e) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz emitted gravitational-wave frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place a conservative upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0 < e ≤ 0.3 at 16.9 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹ at the 90% confidence level.

Original language	English
Article number	ad65ce
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	973
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce
State	Published - Oct 1 2024

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@article{8a221b76bee14360a5c8659d3074e020,

title = "Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo",

abstract = "Despite the growing number of binary black hole coalescences confidently observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include the effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that have already been identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total source-frame mass M > 70 Me) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz emitted gravitational-wave frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place a conservative upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0 < e ≤ 0.3 at 16.9 Gpc−3 yr−1 at the 90\% confidence level.",

author = "\{The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration\} and Abac, \{A. G.\} and R. Abbott and H. Abe and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and C. Adamcewicz and S. Adhicary and N. Adhikari and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adkins, \{V. K.\} and Adya, \{V. B.\} and C. Affeldt and D. Agarwal and M. Agathos and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and I. Aguilar and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and T. Akutsu and S. Albanesi and Alfaidi, \{R. A.\} and A. Al-Jodah and C. All{\'e}n{\'e} and A. Allocca and M. Almualla and Altin, \{P. A.\} and S. {\'A}lvarez-L{\'o}pez and A. Amato and L. Amez-Droz and A. Amorosi and S. Anand and A. Ananyeva and R. Andersen and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and M. Andia and M. Ando and T. Andrade and N. Andres and M. Andr{\'e}s-Carcasona and T. Andri{\'c} and S. Ansoldi and Antelis, \{J. M.\} and S. Antier and M. Aoumi and T. Apostolatos and Appavuravther, \{E. Z.\} and S. Appert and C. Markakis",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2024",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce",

language = "English",

volume = "973",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo

AU - The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration

AU - Abac, A. G.

AU - Abbott, R.

AU - Abe, H.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adamcewicz, C.

AU - Adhicary, S.

AU - Adhikari, N.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adkins, V. K.

AU - Adya, V. B.

AU - Affeldt, C.

AU - Agarwal, D.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Aguilar, I.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Akutsu, T.

AU - Albanesi, S.

AU - Alfaidi, R. A.

AU - Al-Jodah, A.

AU - Alléné, C.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Almualla, M.

AU - Altin, P. A.

AU - Álvarez-López, S.

AU - Amato, A.

AU - Amez-Droz, L.

AU - Amorosi, A.

AU - Anand, S.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Andersen, R.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Andia, M.

AU - Ando, M.

AU - Andrade, T.

AU - Andres, N.

AU - Andrés-Carcasona, M.

AU - Andrić, T.

AU - Ansoldi, S.

AU - Antelis, J. M.

AU - Antier, S.

AU - Aoumi, M.

AU - Apostolatos, T.

AU - Appavuravther, E. Z.

AU - Appert, S.

AU - Markakis, C.

PY - 2024/10/1

Y1 - 2024/10/1

N2 - Despite the growing number of binary black hole coalescences confidently observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include the effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that have already been identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total source-frame mass M > 70 Me) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz emitted gravitational-wave frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place a conservative upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0 < e ≤ 0.3 at 16.9 Gpc−3 yr−1 at the 90% confidence level.

AB - Despite the growing number of binary black hole coalescences confidently observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include the effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that have already been identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total source-frame mass M > 70 Me) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz emitted gravitational-wave frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place a conservative upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0 < e ≤ 0.3 at 16.9 Gpc−3 yr−1 at the 90% confidence level.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85210770411

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ad65ce

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85210770411

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 973

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - ad65ce

ER -

Search for Eccentric Black Hole Coalescences during the Third Observing Run of LIGO and Virgo

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