Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Semiparametric Modeling of LIGO–Virgo’s Binary Black Hole Mass Distribution
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Semiparametric Modeling of LIGO–Virgo’s Binary Black Hole Mass Distribution
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DOI：
10.3847/1538-4357/ac3667
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发表时间：
2021-09
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
B. Edelman;Zoheyr Doctor;J. Godfrey;B. Farr
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文献类型：
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作者：
B. Edelman;Zoheyr Doctor;J. Godfrey;B. Farr
我们引入了一个半参数模型，用于用引力波（GW）观测到的双黑洞（BBH）的主要质量分布，该模型将三次样条扰动应用于幂律。我们将该模型应用于第二个引力波瞬变目录（GWTC-2）中包含的 46 个 BBH。样条摄动模型恢复了与之前结果一致的主要质量分布，证实了 Powerlaw+Peak 模型发现的 35 M ⊙ 处峰值的存在（>97% 可信度）。该峰值可能是脉动对不稳定超新星的结果。样条扰动模型发现了较低质量的主要质量分布中附加特征的潜在迹象，类似于 Tiwari 和 Fairhurst 之前报道的情况。然而，由于统计量较少而出现波动，较简单的Powerlaw+Peak和BrokenPowerlaw模型仍然与观测结果完全一致。我们的半参数方法可以弥补参数模型和非参数模型之间的差距，从而更准确地测量 BBH 质量分布。有了更大的目录，我们将能够使用这个模型来解决可能用于执行宇宙学测量的附加特征，并将建立在我们对 BBH 形成、恒星演化和核天体物理学的理解之上。
We introduce a semiparametric model for the primary mass distribution of binary black holes (BBHs) observed with gravitational waves (GWs) that applies a cubic-spline perturbation to a power law. We apply this model to the 46 BBHs included in the second gravitational-wave transient catalog (GWTC-2). The spline perturbation model recovers a consistent primary mass distribution with previous results, corroborating the existence of a peak at 35 M ⊙ (>97% credibility) found with the Powerlaw+Peak model. The peak could be the result of pulsational pair-instability supernovae. The spline perturbation model finds potential signs of additional features in the primary mass distribution at lower masses similar to those previously reported by Tiwari and Fairhurst. However, with fluctuations due to small-number statistics, the simpler Powerlaw+Peak and BrokenPowerlaw models are both still perfectly consistent with observations. Our semiparametric approach serves as a way to bridge the gap between parametric and nonparametric models to more accurately measure the BBH mass distribution. With larger catalogs we will be able to use this model to resolve possible additional features that could be used to perform cosmological measurements and will build on our understanding of BBH formation, stellar evolution, and nuclear astrophysics.