Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott · LIGO Scientific Collaboration & Virgo Collaboration (1000+ authors)
Summary
This paper reported the first direct detection of gravitational waves, recorded on 14 September 2015 by the two LIGO interferometers as the signal GW150914. The observed waveform swept upward in frequency from 35 to 250 Hz and matched general-relativity predictions for the inspiral, merger, and ringdown of a binary black hole system, detected with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a significance greater than 5.1σ. The source was inferred to be the merger of black holes of about 36 and 29 solar masses into a final black hole of about 62 solar masses, radiating roughly 3 solar masses of energy as gravitational waves.
Key findings
- First direct detection of gravitational waves, observed simultaneously by the two LIGO detectors with greater than 5.1σ significance.
- First direct observation of a binary black hole merger, with measured component masses of roughly 36 and 29 solar masses forming a ~62 solar-mass final black hole.
- About 3 solar masses of energy were radiated as gravitational waves, and the waveform agreed with general relativity for inspiral, merger, and ringdown.
Subjects & keywords
Cite this paper
B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, & T. D. Abbott [LIGO Scientific Collaboration & Virgo Collaboration (1000+ authors)] (2016). Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger. Physical Review Letters. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102
@article{abbott2016observation,
author = {B. P. Abbott and R. Abbott and T. D. Abbott and {LIGO Scientific Collaboration & Virgo Collaboration (1000+ authors)}},
title = {Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102}
}