6 research outputs found
Probing seed black holes using future gravitational-wave detectors
Identifying the properties of the first generation of seeds of massive black
holes is key to understanding the merger history and growth of galaxies.
Mergers between ~100 solar mass seed black holes generate gravitational waves
in the 0.1-10Hz band that lies between the sensitivity bands of existing
ground-based detectors and the planned space-based gravitational wave detector,
the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). However, there are proposals for
more advanced detectors that will bridge this gap, including the third
generation ground-based Einstein Telescope and the space-based detector DECIGO.
In this paper we demonstrate that such future detectors should be able to
detect gravitational waves produced by the coalescence of the first generation
of light seed black-hole binaries and provide information on the evolution of
structure in that era. These observations will be complementary to those that
LISA will make of subsequent mergers between more massive black holes. We
compute the sensitivity of various future detectors to seed black-hole mergers,
and use this to explore the number and properties of the events that each
detector might see in three years of observation. For this calculation, we make
use of galaxy merger trees and two different seed black hole mass distributions
in order to construct the astrophysical population of events. We also consider
the accuracy with which networks of future ground-based detectors will be able
to measure the parameters of seed black hole mergers, in particular the
luminosity distance to the source. We show that distance precisions of ~30% are
achievable, which should be sufficient for us to say with confidence that the
sources are at high redshift.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for proceedings of 13th GWDAW
meetin
Compact Binary Coalescences in the Band of Ground-based Gravitational-Wave Detectors
As the ground-based gravitational-wave telescopes LIGO, Virgo, and GEO 600
approach the era of first detections, we review the current knowledge of the
coalescence rates and the mass and spin distributions of merging neutron-star
and black-hole binaries. We emphasize the bi-directional connection between
gravitational-wave astronomy and conventional astrophysics. Astrophysical input
will make possible informed decisions about optimal detector configurations and
search techniques. Meanwhile, rate upper limits, detected merger rates, and the
distribution of masses and spins measured by gravitational-wave searches will
constrain astrophysical parameters through comparisons with astrophysical
models. Future developments necessary to the success of gravitational-wave
astronomy are discussed.Comment: Replaced with version accepted by CQG
Summary of session C1: Pulsar timing arrays
This paper summarizes parallel session C1: Pulsar Timing Arrays of the Amaldi10/GR20 Meeting held in Warsaw, Poland in July 2013. The session showcased recent results from pulsar timing array collaborations, advances in modelling the gravitational-wave signal, and new methods to search for and characterize gravitational waves in pulsar timing array observations
Testing General Relativity with Low-Frequency, Space-Based Gravitational-Wave Detectors
We review the tests of general relativity that will become possible with space-based gravitational-wave detectors operating in the ∼ 10^{-5} – 1 Hz low-frequency band. The fundamental aspects of gravitation that can be tested include the presence of additional gravitational fields other than the metric; the number and tensorial nature of gravitational-wave polarization states; the velocity of propagation of gravitational waves; the binding energy and gravitational-wave radiation of binaries, and therefore the time evolution of binary inspirals; the strength and shape of the waves emitted from binary mergers and ringdowns; the true nature of astrophysical black holes; and much more. The strength of this science alone calls for the swift implementation of a space-based detector; the remarkable richness of astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology in the low-frequency gravitational-wave band make the case even stronger