GW170814: a three-detector observation of gravitational waves from a binary black hole coalescence

LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, A. P. Lundgren, Ian Harry, Laura Nuttall, David Keitel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

124 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

On August 14, 2017 at 10∶30:43 UTC, the Advanced Virgo detector and the two Advanced LIGO detectors coherently observed a transient gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of two stellar mass black holes, with a false-alarm rate of ≲1 in 27 000 years. The signal was observed with a three-detector network matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 18. The inferred masses of the initial black holes are30.5+5.7−3.0 M⊙and 25.3+2.8− 4.2M ⊙ (at the 90% credible level). The luminosity distance of the source is 54 0+130− 210 Mpc, corresponding to a redshift of z = 0.11+ 0.03− 0.04. A network of three detectors improves the sky localization of the source, reducing the area of the 90% credible region from 1160 deg 2 using only the two LIGO detectors to 60 deg 2 using all three detectors. For the first time, we can test the nature of gravitational-wave polarizations from the antenna response of the LIGO-Virgo network, thus enabling a new class of phenomenological tests of gravity.
Original languageEnglish
Article number141101
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume119
Issue number14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Oct 2017

Keywords

  • RCUK
  • STFC

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'GW170814: a three-detector observation of gravitational waves from a binary black hole coalescence'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this