Related papers: Inferring the pair-instability mass gap from gravi…
Current gravitational-wave data reveal structures in the mass function of binary compact objects. Properly modelling and deciphering such structures is the ultimate goal of gravitational-wave population analysis: in this context,…
Gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by generic black-hole binaries show a rich structure that directly reflects the complex dynamics introduced by the precession of the orbital plane, which poses a real challenge to the development of generic…
We characterize the expected statistical errors with which the parameters of black-hole binaries can be measured from gravitational-wave (GW) observations of their inspiral, merger and ringdown by a network of second-generation ground-based…
We detail the population properties of merging compact objects using 158 mergers from the cumulative Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 4.0, which includes three types of binary mergers: binary neutron star, neutron star--black hole…
Gravitational-wave observations give a unique insight into the formation and evolution of binary black holes. We use gravitational-wave measurements to address the question of whether GW170729's source, which is (probably) the most massive…
Identifying the source parameters from a gravitational-wave measurement alone is limited by our ability to discriminate signals from different sources and the accuracy of the waveform family employed in the search. Here we address both…
We analyze the population statistics of black holes in the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA GWTC-3 catalog using a parametric mass function derived from simulations of massive stars experiencing pulsational pair-instability supernovae (PPISN). Our…
Pair-instability should prevent the direct formation of black holes above about $50M_\odot$ creating a pair-instability mass gap. Yet gravitational-wave observations have detected black holes in this mass range. These systems can be…
Gravitational wave observations of binary black hole mergers probe their astrophysical origins via the binary spin, namely the spin magnitudes and directions of each component black hole, together described by six degrees of freedom.…
Stellar theory predicts a forbidden range of black-hole masses between ${\sim}50$--$130\,M_\odot$ due to pair-instability supernovae, but evidence for such a gap in the mass distribution from gravitational-wave astronomy has proved elusive.…
We perform a detailed parameter estimation study of binary black hole merger events reported in Zackay et al. and Venumadhav et al.. These are some of the faintest signals reported so far, and hence, relative to the loud events in the…
We analyze the LIGO/Virgo GWTC-2 catalog to study the primary mass distribution of the merging black holes. We perform hierarchical Bayesian analysis, and examine whether the mass distribution has a sharp cutoff for primary black hole…
Gravitational-wave observations have revealed an excess of binary black hole mergers with primary masses near $\sim 35\,M_\odot$. We show that if this feature originates from dynamical formation in dense stellar systems, and if the…
The population of the observed gravitational wave events encodes unique information on the formation and evolution of stellar-mass black holes, from the underlying astrophysical processes to the large-scale dynamics of the Universe. We use…
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…
Population studies of stellar-mass black-hole binaries have become major players in gravitational-wave astronomy. The underlying assumptions are that the targeted source parameters refer to the same quantities for all events in the catalog…
The spins of black holes in merging binaries can reveal information related to the formation and evolution of these systems through their gravitational wave emission. Combining events to infer the astrophysical distribution of black hole…
With the release of the fourth LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA gravitational-wave catalog (GWTC-4), we are starting to gain a detailed view of the population of merging binary black holes. The formation channels of these black holes is not clearly…
Binary black hole mergers with asymmetric component masses are key targets for both third-generation ground-based and future space-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, offering unique access to the strong-field dynamics of gravity. The…
The catalog of gravitational-wave events is growing, and so are our hopes of constraining the underlying astrophysics of stellar-mass black-hole mergers by inferring the distributions of, e.g., masses and spins. While conventional analyses…