Related papers: Evidence for the evolution of black hole mass func…
Several astrophysical scenarios have been proposed to explain the origin of the population of binary black hole (BBH) mergers detected in gravitational waves (GWs) by the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration. Among them, BBH mergers assembled…
The first LIGO-Virgo detections have confirmed the existence of massive black holes (BHs), with mass $30-40$ M$_\odot$. Such BHs might originate from massive metal-poor stars ($Z<0.3$ Z$_\odot$) or from gravitational instabilities in the…
The dynamical formation of stellar-mass black hole-black hole binaries has long been a promising source of gravitational waves for the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Mass segregation, gravitational focusing, and…
We incorporate a model for black hole growth during galaxy mergers into the semi-analytical galaxy formation model based on Lambda-CDM proposed by Baugh et al. (2005). Our black hole model has one free parameter, which we set by matching…
We consider black hole - galaxy coevolution using simple analytic arguments. We focus on the fact that several supermassive black holes are known with masses significantly larger than suggested by the $M - {\sigma}$ relation, sometimes also…
The mass distribution of binary black holes inferred from gravitational wave measurements is expected to shed light on their formation scenarios. An emerging structure in the mass distribution indicates the presence of multiple peaks around…
The formation channels of compact object binaries are crucial for interpreting gravitational wave observations and enhancing early multi-messenger alerts. Despite the key role of stellar metallicity in progenitor evolution, many models…
Astrophysical black holes (BHs) have two fundamental properties: mass and spin. While the mass-evolution of BHs has been extensively studied, much less work has been done on predicting the distribution of BH spins. In this paper we present…
Deep redshift surveys of the universe provide the basic ingredients to compute the probability distribution function (PDF) of galaxy fluctuations and to constrain its evolution with cosmic time. When this statistic is combined with…
The ongoing observations from ground based gravitational-wave observatories have led to the detection of more than a hundred merger events between black holes. We use the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) observations from 2015 to early 2024, to test…
The delay time distribution (DTD) of binary black hole (BBH) mergers encodes the evolutionary link between the formation history and gravitational-wave (GW) emission. We present a non-parametric reconstruction of the mass-dependent DTD…
(Abridged) We study the link between quasars and the red galaxy population using a model for the self-regulated growth of supermassive black holes in mergers involving gas-rich galaxies. Using a model for quasar lifetimes and evolution…
We present a search for gravitational waves from the coalescence of binaries which contain at least one subsolar mass component using data from the LIGO and Virgo observatories through the completion of their third observing run. The…
Beyond all reasonable doubt, black holes are commonly found in the nuclei of most normal galaxies. In recent years, dynamical measurements of hole masses have transformed the study of their functioning and evolution. In particular, relating…
On August 14, 2019, the LIGO and Virgo detectors observed GW190814, a gravitational-wave signal originating from the merger of a $\simeq 23 M_\odot$ black hole with a $\simeq 2.6 M_\odot$ compact object. GW190814's compact-binary source is…
Hierarchical Bayesian inference is an essential tool for studying the population properties of compact binaries with gravitational waves. The basic premise is to infer the unknown prior distribution of binary black hole and/or neutron star…
Current population models of binary black hole distributions are difficult to interpret because standard population inferences hinge on modeling choices, which can mask or mimic real structure. The maximum population likelihood…
We compare the event rate density detected by LIGO to the comoving number density of isolated stellar progenitors and find a range for their formation redshift. Our limit depends on the threshold mass for making the black holes (BHs) but…
Using the StarTrack population synthesis code we compute the distribution of masses of merging compact object (black hole or neutron star) binaries. The shape of the mass distribution is sensitive to some of the parameters governing the…
Observations have shown that the majority of massive stars, progenitors of black holes (BHs), have on average more than one stellar companion. In triple systems, wide inner binaries can be driven to a merger by the third body due to…