Constraining Binary Evolution with Gravitational Wave Measurements of Chirp Masses

Abstract

Using the StarTrack binary population synthesis code we investigate the properties of population of compact object binaries. Taking into account the selection effects we calculate the expected properties of the observed binaries.We analyze possible constraints on the stellar evolution models and find that an observed sample of about one hundred mergers will yield strong constraints on the binary evolution scenarios.Comment: Invited talk at "The Astrophysics of Gravitational Wave Sources" Workshop; April 24-26, 2003, U. Maryland; 10 page