Simulation of the gravitational wave frequency distribution of neutron star-black hole mergers

LIGO-Virgo has observed the gravitational waves (GWs) from the coalescence of binary black hole (BBH) and binary neutron star (BNS) during O1 and O2, and the ones from NS-BH are expected to be hunted in the operating O3 run. The population properties and mass distribution of NS-BH mergers are poorly understood now, thus researchers simulated their chirp mass (M) distribution by a synthetic model, in which the BHs and NSs were inferred by LIGO-Virgo (O1/O2), and obtained the values in the range of 2.1M(circle dot) < M < 7.3M(circle dot). In this paper, we further simulate the GW frequency (f(GW)) distribution of NS-BH mergers by the above-stated synthetic model, with a basic binary system model through the Monte Carlo method. Our results predict that the median with 90% credible intervals is 165(-64)(+475) Hz in the case of Schwarzschild BH when the system just before merger, and this GW frequency is expected to increase several times in the merger stage, which is lying in the frequency band of LIGO-Virgo, i.e., about 15 Hz to a few kHz. Our results provide an important reference for hunting the NS-BH mergers by the on-going O3 run of LIGO-Virgo.

Automated summary

Researchers simulated the chirp mass and gravitational wave frequency distribution of neutron star-black hole mergers using synthetic models, providing important references for tracking these events during the ongoing O3 run of LIGO-Virgo. The results indicate that the gravitational wave frequency of these mergers is expected to increase several times during the merger stage, lying in the frequency band of LIGO-Virgo, from about 15 Hz to a few kHz.