Journal
PHYSICAL REVIEW D
Volume 87, Issue 10, Pages -Publisher
AMER PHYSICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.104028
Keywords
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Funding
- NSF [PHY11-25915, PHY-0970074]
- LIGO REU program at the California Institute of Technology
- NSF CAREER Grant [PHY-1055103]
- FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES Grant [NRHEP-295189]
- NSF-XSEDE Grant [PHY-090003]
- FP7-PEOPLE-CIG [CBHEO-293412]
- STFC GR Roller Grant [ST/I002006/1]
- CESGA [ICTS-234]
- BSC, RES [AECT-2012-3-0011]
- ERC [DyBHo 256667]
- Cosmos system, part of DiRAC
- STFC
- BIS
- STFC [ST/I002006/1, ST/J005673/1, ST/H008586/1, ST/K00333X/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Division Of Physics
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1055103] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Science and Technology Facilities Council [ST/J005673/1, ST/I002006/1, ST/H008586/1, 1344276, ST/K00333X/1] Funding Source: researchfish
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We study the influence of astrophysical formation scenarios on the precessional dynamics of spinning black-hole binaries by the time they enter the observational window of second- and third-generation gravitational-wave detectors, such as Advanced LIGO/Virgo, LIGO-India, KAGRA, and the Einstein Telescope. Under the plausible assumption that tidal interactions are efficient at aligning the spins of few-solar mass black-hole progenitors with the orbital angular momentum, we find that black-hole spins should be expected to preferentially lie in a plane when they become detectable by gravitational-wave interferometers. This resonant plane is identified by the conditions Delta Phi = 0 degrees or Delta Phi = +/- 180 degrees, where Delta Phi is the angle between the components of the black-hole spins in the plane orthogonal to the orbital angular momentum. If the angles Delta Phi can be accurately measured for a large sample of gravitational-wave detections, their distribution will constrain models of compact binary formation. In particular, it will tell us whether tidal interactions are efficient and whether a mechanism such as mass transfer, stellar winds, or supernovae can induce a mass-ratio reversal (so that the heavier black hole is produced by the initially lighter stellar progenitor). Therefore, our model offers a concrete observational link between gravitational-wave measurements and astrophysics. We also hope that it will stimulate further studies of precessional dynamics, gravitational-wave template placement, and parameter estimation for binaries locked in the resonant plane.
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