Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914

B.P. Abbott; P. Bacon; M. Barsuglia; Y. Bouffanais; C. Buy; E. Capocasa; E. Chassande-Mottin; D. Fiorucci; E.O. Lebigot; M. Tacca; M. Boer; G. Bogaert; A. Brillet; F. Cleva; J.-P. Coulon; J.-D. Fournier; H. Heitmann; F. Kéfélian; N. Man; L. Martellini; François Bondu; T. Briant; S. Chua; P.-F. Cohadon; S. Deléglise; A. Heidmann; J.-M. Isac; T. Jacqmin; R. Metzdorff; G. Cagnoli; J. Degallaix; V. Dolique; M. Granata; D. Hofman; C. Michel; R. Pedurand; L. Pinard; B. Sassolas; N. Straniero; V. Loriette; I. Maksimovic; N. Arnaud; I. Belahcene; M. A. Bizouard; V. Brisson; J. Casanueva Diaz; F. Cavalier; M. Davier; V. Frey; P. Hello; D. Huet; A. Lartaux-Vollard; N. Leroy; F. Robinet; T. Adams; R. Bonnand; D. Buskulic; M. Ducrot; V. Germain; R. Gouaty; N. Letendre; F. Marion; A. Masserot; B. Mours; L. Rolland; D. Verkindt; M. Was; M. Yvert; S. Di Pace; D. Meacher; M. Merzougui; M. Pichot; T. Regimbau; K. Siellez; M. Turconi; J.-Y. Vinet; L.-W. Wei

doi:10.1088/1361-6382/aa6854

Journal articles

Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914

B.P. Abbott P. Bacon ¹ M. Barsuglia ¹ Y. Bouffanais ¹ C. Buy ¹ E. Capocasa ¹ E. Chassande-Mottin ¹ D. Fiorucci ¹ E.O. Lebigot ¹ M. Tacca ¹ M. Boer ² G. Bogaert ² A. Brillet ² F. Cleva ² J.-P. Coulon ² J.-D. Fournier ² H. Heitmann ² F. Kéfélian ² N. Man ² L. Martellini ² François Bondu ³ T. Briant S. Chua ⁴ P.-F. Cohadon ⁵ S. Deléglise ⁵ A. Heidmann ⁴ J.-M. Isac ⁴ T. Jacqmin ⁴ R. Metzdorff ⁴ G. Cagnoli ⁶ J. Degallaix ⁶ V. Dolique ⁶ M. Granata ⁶ D. Hofman ⁶ C. Michel ⁶ R. Pedurand ⁶ L. Pinard ⁶ B. Sassolas ⁶ N. Straniero ⁶ V. Loriette ⁷ I. Maksimovic ⁷ N. Arnaud ⁸ I. Belahcene ⁸ M. A. Bizouard ⁸ V. Brisson ⁸ J. Casanueva Diaz ⁸ F. Cavalier ⁸ M. Davier ⁸ V. Frey ⁸ P. Hello ⁸ D. Huet ⁸ A. Lartaux-Vollard ⁸ N. Leroy ⁸ F. Robinet ⁸ T. Adams ⁹ R. Bonnand ⁹ D. Buskulic ⁹ M. Ducrot ⁹ V. Germain ⁹ R. Gouaty ⁹ N. Letendre ⁹ F. Marion ⁹ A. Masserot ⁹ B. Mours ⁹ L. Rolland ⁹ D. Verkindt ⁹ M. Was ⁹ M. Yvert ⁹ S. Di Pace ² D. Meacher ² M. Merzougui ² M. Pichot ² T. Regimbau ² K. Siellez ² M. Turconi ² J.-Y. Vinet ² L.-W. Wei ²

1 APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie

2 ARTEMIS - Astrophysique Relativiste Théories Expériences Métrologie Instrumentation Signaux

3 IPR - Institut de Physique de Rennes

4 LKB (Lhomond) - Laboratoire Kastler Brossel

5 LKB (Jussieu) - Laboratoire Kastler Brossel

6 LMA - Laboratoire des matériaux avancés

7 ESPCI Paris - Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris

8 LAL - Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire

9 LAPP - Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules

Abstract : Parameter estimates of GW150914 were obtained using Bayesian inference, based on three semi-analytic waveform models for binary black hole coalescences. These waveform models differ from each other in their treatment of black hole spins, and all three models make some simplifying assumptions, notably to neglect sub-dominant waveform harmonic modes and orbital eccentricity. Furthermore, while the models are calibrated to agree with waveforms obtained by full numerical solutions of Einstein's equations, any such calibration is accurate only to some non-zero tolerance and is limited by the accuracy of the underlying phenomenology, availability, quality, and parameter-space coverage of numerical simulations. This paper complements the original analyses of GW150914 with an investigation of the effects of possible systematic errors in the waveform models on estimates of its source parameters. To test for systematic errors we repeat the original Bayesian analyses on mock signals from numerical simulations of a series of binary configurations with parameters similar to those found for GW150914. Overall, we find no evidence for a systematic bias relative to the statistical error of the original parameter recovery of GW150914 due to modeling approximations or modeling inaccuracies. However, parameter biases are found to occur for some configurations disfavored by the data of GW150914: for binaries inclined edge-on to the detector over a small range of choices of polarization angles, and also for eccentricities greater than ∼0.05. For signals with higher signal-to-noise ratio than GW150914, or in other regions of the binary parameter space (lower masses, larger mass ratios, or higher spins), we expect that systematic errors in current waveform models may impact gravitational-wave measurements, making more accurate models desirable for future observations.

Document type :

Journal articles

Domain :

Physics [physics] / General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology [gr-qc]

Physics [physics] / Astrophysics [astro-ph] / High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena [astro-ph.HE]

Complete list of metadatas

http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-01404690
Contributor : Dominique Girod <>
Submitted on : Tuesday, November 29, 2016 - 10:36:12 AM
Last modification on : Thursday, December 3, 2020 - 8:08:06 PM

Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914

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Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914

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