Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102

Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger

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へるつ with a peak gravitational-wave strain of 1.0 ×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 σしぐま . The source lies at a luminosity distance of 41 0_-180⁺¹⁶⁰ Mpc corresponding to a redshift z =0.0 9_-0.04^+0.03 . In the source frame, the initial black hole masses are 3 6_-4⁺⁵M_⊙ and 2 9_-4⁺⁴M_⊙ , and the final black hole mass is 6 2_-4⁺⁴M_⊙ , with 3. 0_-0.5^+0.5M_⊙ c² 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.

Publication:

Physical Review Letters

Pub Date:

February 2016

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102

arXiv:

arXiv:1602.03837

Bibcode:

2016PhRvL.116f1102A

Keywords:

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology;
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

E-Print:

16 pages, 4 figures

NASA/ADS