Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914

Abbott, B. P. et al. (2017) Effects of waveform model systematics on the interpretation of GW150914. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 34(10), 104002. (doi: 10.1088/1361-6382/aa6854)

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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 analysis 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.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Grant, Mr Alastair and Spencer, Dr Andrew and Pearlstone, Brynley and Messenger, Dr Christopher and Isa, Hafizah Noor Binti and Bell, Dr Angus and Williams, Dr Daniel and Pascucci, Daniela and Toland, Dr Karl and Hammond, Professor Giles and Hild, Professor Stefan and Barr, Dr Bryan and Sorazu Lucio, Dr Borja and Leavey, Mr Sean and Steinlechner, Dr Jessica and Hennig, Ms Margot and Heng, Professor Ik Siong and Houston, Mr Ewan and Newton, Dr Gavin and Graef, Dr Christian and Zhang, Mr Teng and Hendry, Professor Martin and Scott, Dr Jamie and Danilishin, Dr Stefan and Rowan, Professor Sheila and Martin, Dr Iain and Robertson, Professor Norna and Chan, Mr Man Leong and Tornasi, Zeno and Robie, Mr Raymond and Cumming, Dr Alan and Hennig, Mr Jan-Simon and Cunningham, Dr Liam and Barclay, Miss Sheena and Powell, Miss Jade and Woan, Professor Graham and WRIGHT, Jennifer and Steinlechner, Dr Sebastian and Mangano, Miss Valentina and Hough, Professor James and Huttner, Dr Sabina and Strain, Professor Kenneth and Jones, Mr Russell and Haughian, Dr Karen and Murray, Dr Peter and Pitkin, Dr Matthew and Fletcher, Mr Mark
Authors: Abbott, B. P., Abbott, R., Abbott, T. D., Abernathy, M. R., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adams, C., Adams, T., Addesso, P., Adhikari, R. X., Adya, V. B., Affeldt, C., Agathos, M., Agatsuma, K., Aggarwal, N., Aguiar, O. D., Aiello, L., Ain, A., Ajith, P., Allen, B., Allocca, A., Altin, P. A., Ananyeva, A., Anderson, S. B., Anderson, W. G., Appert, S., Arai, K., Araya, M. C., Areeda, J. S., Arnaud, N., Arun, K. G., Ascenzi, S., Ashton, G., Ast, M., Aston, S. M., Astone, P., Aufmuth, P., Aulbert, C., Avila-Alvarez, A., Babak, S., Bacon, P., Bader, M. K. M., Baker, P. T., Baldaccini, F., Ballardin, G., Ballmer, S. W., Barayoga, J. C., Barclay, S. E., Barish, B. C., Barker, D., Barone, F., Barr, B., Barsotti, L., Barsuglia, M., Barta, D., Bartlett, J., Bartos, I., Bassiri, R., Basti, A., Batch, J. C., Baune, C., Bavigadda, V., Bazzan, M., Beer, C., Bejger, M., Belahcene, I., Belgin, M., Bell, A. S., Berger, B. K., Bergmann, G., Berry, C. P. L., Bersanetti, D., Bertolini, A., Betzwieser, J., Bhagwat, S., Bhandare, R., Bilenko, I. A., Billingsley, G., Billman, C. R., Birch, J., Birney, R., Birnholtz, O., Biscans, S., Bisht, A., Bitossi, M., Biwer, C., Bizouard, M. A., Blackburn, J. K., Blackman, J., Blair, C. D., Blair, D. G., Blair, R. M., Bloemen, S., Bock, O., Boer, M., Bogaert, G., Bohe, A., Bondu, F., Bonnand, R., Boom, B. A., Bork, R., Boschi, V., Bose, S., Bouffanais, Y., Bozzi, A., Bradaschia, C., Brady, P. R., Braginsky, V. B., Branchesi, M., Brau, J. E., Briant, T., Brillet, A., Brinkmann, M., Brisson, V., Brockill, P., Broida, J. E., Brooks, A. F., Brown, D. A., Brown, D. D., Brown, N. M., Brunett, S., Buchanan, C. C., Buikema, A., Bulik, T., Bulten, H. J., Buonanno, A., Buskulic, D., Buy, C., Byer, R. L., Cabero, M., Cadonati, L., Cagnoli, G., Cahillane, C., Calderón Bustillo, J., Callister, T. A., Calloni, E., Camp, J. B., Cannon, K. C., Cao, H., Cao, J., Capano, C. D., Capocasa, E., Carbognani, F., Caride, S., Casanueva Diaz, J., Casentini, C., Caudill, S., Cavaglià, M., Cavalier, F., Cavalieri, R., Cella, G., Cepeda, C. B., Cerboni Baiardi, L., Cerretani, G., Cesarini, E., Chamberlin, S. J., Chan, M., Chao, S., Charlton, P., Chassande-Mottin, E., Cheeseboro, B. D., Chen, H. Y., Chen, Y., Cheng, H.-P., Chincarini, A., Chiummo, A., Chmiel, T., Cho, H. S., Cho, M., Chow, J. H., Christensen, N., Chu, Q., Chua, A. J. K., Chua, S., Chung, S., Ciani, G., Clara, F., Clark, J. A., Cleva, F., Cocchieri, C., Coccia, E., Cohadon, P.-F., Colla, A., Collette, C. G., Cominsky, L., Constancio, M., Conti, L., Cooper, S. J., Corbitt, T. R., Cornish, N., Corsi, A., Cortese, S., Costa, C. A., Coughlin, M. W., Coughlin, S. B., Coulon, J.-P., Countryman, S. T., Couvares, P., Covas, P. B., Cowan, E. E., Coward, D. M., Cowart, M. J., Coyne, D. C., Coyne, R., Creighton, J. D. E., Creighton, T. D., Cripe, J., Crowder, S. G., Cullen, T. J., Cumming, A., Cunningham, L., Cuoco, E., Dal Canton, T., Danilishin, S. L., D’Antonio, S., Danzmann, K., Dasgupta, A., Da Silva Costa, C. F., Dattilo, V., Dave, I., Davier, M., Davies, G. S., Davis, D., Daw, E. J., Day, B., Day, R., De, S., DeBra, D., Debreczeni, G., Degallaix, J., De Laurentis, M., Deléglise, S., Del Pozzo, W., Denker, T., Dent, T., Dergachev, V., De Rosa, R., DeRosa, R. T., DeSalvo, R., Devenson, J., Devine, R. C., Dhurandhar, S., Díaz, M. C., Di Fiore, L., Di Giovanni, M., Di Girolamo, T., Di Lieto, A., Di Pace, S., Di Palma, I., Di Virgilio, A., Doctor, Z., Dolique, V., Donovan, F., Dooley, K. L., Doravari, S., Dorrington, I., Douglas, R., Dovale Álvarez, M., Downes, T. P., Drago, M., Drever, R. W. P., Driggers, J. C., Du, Z., Ducrot, M., Dwyer, S. E., Edo, T. B., Edwards, M. C., Effler, A., Eggenstein, H.-B., Ehrens, P., Eichholz, J., Eikenberry, S. S., Eisenstein, R. A., Essick, R. C., Etienne, Z., Etzel, T., Evans, M., Evans, T. 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E., Ossokine, S., Scheel, M., Szilagyi, B., Teukolsky, S., and Vano Vinuales, A.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
Research Centre:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy > Institute for Gravitational Research
Journal Name:Classical and Quantum Gravity
Publisher:IOP Publishing
ISSN:0264-9381
ISSN (Online):1361-6382

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