Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-11-2016
Journal / Book Title
Physical review letters
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 1.0×10-21. 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 5.1σ. The source lies at a luminosity distance of 410-180+160 Mpc corresponding to a redshift z=0.09-0.04+0.03. In the source frame, the initial black hole masses are 36-4+5M⊙ and 29-4+4M⊙, and the final black hole mass is 62-4+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.
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M. R.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Favata, Marc; Ghosh, Shaon; and Martin, Rodica, "Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger" (2016). Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 92.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/physics-astron-facpubs/92
Published Citation
Abbott, B. P., Abbott, R., Abbott, T. D., Abernathy, M. R., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., ... & Cavalieri, R. (2016). Observation of gravitational waves from a binary black hole merger. Physical review letters, 116(6), 061102.