GW151226

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GW151226
GW151226.png
GW151226 observed by the LIGO Hanford (left column) and Livingston (right column) detectors.
Event type Gravitational wave
Datec. 1.4 billion years ago
(detected 26 December 2015, 3:38:53 UTC)
Instrument LIGO
Distancec. 1.4 billion ly
Progenitor2 black holes
Total energy output~ 1 M☉ × c2
Other designationsGW151226
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GW151226 was a gravitational wave signal detected by the LIGO observatory on 25 December 2015 local time (26 Dec 2015 UTC). On 15 June 2016, the LIGO and Virgo collaborations announced that they had verified the signal, making it the second such signal confirmed, after GW150914, which had been announced four months earlier the same year, [1] [2] and the third gravitational wave signal detected.

Contents

Event detection

The signal was detected by LIGO at 3:38:53 UTC, with the Hanford detector picking it up 1.1 milliseconds after the Livingston detector (since the axis between the two was not parallel to the wave front); it was identified by a low-latency search within 70 seconds of its arrival at the detectors. [1]

Astrophysical origin

Analysis indicated the signal resulted from the coalescence of two black holes with 14.2+8.3
−3.7 and 7.5+2.3
−2.3 times the mass of the Sun, at a distance of 440+180
−190 megaparsecs (1.4 billion light years) from Earth. The resulting merged black hole had 20.8+6.1
−1.7 solar masses, one solar mass having been radiated away. [1] [3] In both of the first two black hole mergers analyzed, the mass converted to gravitational waves was roughly 4.6% of the initial total.

In this second detection, LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo scientists also determined that at least one of the premerger black holes was spinning at more than 20% of the maximum spin rate allowed by general relativity. [1] [4] The final black hole was spinning with 0.74+0.06
−0.06 times its maximum possible angular momentum. [1] The black holes were smaller than in the first detection event, which led to different timing for the final orbits and allowed LIGO to see more of the last stages before the black holes merged—55 cycles (27 orbits) over one second, with frequency increasing from 35 to 450 Hz, compared with only ten cycles over 0.2 second in the first event. [1] [5]

The location/direction in the sky is poorly constrained. The signal was first seen at Livingston with delay of 1.1 (±0.3) ms later at LIGO Hanford. [1]

Implications

The GW151226 event suggests that there is a large population of binary black holes in the Universe that will produce frequent mergers. [6]

The measured gravitational wave is completely consistent with the predictions of general relativity for strong gravitational fields. The theory's strong-field predictions had not been directly tested before the two LIGO events. General relativity passed this most stringent test for the second time. [3] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathematical problem with renormalization in general relativity. In string theory, believed by some to be a consistent theory of quantum gravity, the graviton is a massless state of a fundamental string.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LIGO</span> Gravitational wave observatory site

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a large-scale physics experiment and observatory designed to detect cosmic gravitational waves and to develop gravitational-wave observations as an astronomical tool. Two large observatories were built in the United States with the aim of detecting gravitational waves by laser interferometry. These observatories use mirrors spaced four kilometers apart to measure changes in length—over an effective span of 1120 km—of less than one ten-thousandth the charge diameter of a proton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics</span>

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics is a Max Planck Institute whose research is aimed at investigating Einstein's theory of relativity and beyond: Mathematics, quantum gravity, astrophysical relativity, and gravitational-wave astronomy. The institute was founded in 1995 and is located in the Potsdam Science Park in Golm, Potsdam and in Hannover where it closely collaborates with the Leibniz University Hannover. Both the Potsdam and the Hannover parts of the institute are organized in three research departments and host a number of independent research groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GEO600</span> Gravitational wave detector in Germany

GEO600 is a gravitational wave detector located near Sarstedt, a town 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south of Hanover, Germany. It is designed and operated by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and the Leibniz Universität Hannover, along with University of Glasgow, University of Birmingham and Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, and is funded by the Max Planck Society and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravitational wave background</span> Random background of gravitational waves permeating the Universe

The gravitational wave background is a random background of gravitational waves permeating the Universe, which is detectable by gravitational-wave experiments, like pulsar timing arrays. The signal may be intrinsically random, like from stochastic processes in the early Universe, or may be produced by an incoherent superposition of a large number of weak independent unresolved gravitational-wave sources, like supermassive black-hole binaries. Detecting the gravitational wave background can provide information that is inaccessible by any other means about astrophysical source population, like hypothetical ancient supermassive black-hole binaries, and early Universe processes, like hypothetical primordial inflation and cosmic strings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgo interferometer</span> Gravitational wave detector in Santo Stefano a Macerata, Tuscany, Italy

The Virgo interferometer is a large Michelson interferometer designed to detect the gravitational waves predicted by general relativity. It is in Santo Stefano a Macerata, near the city of Pisa, Italy. The instrument's two arms are three kilometres long and contain its mirrors and instrumentation inside an ultra-high vacuum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravitational wave</span> Propagating spacetime ripple

Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity that are generated by the accelerated masses of binary stars and other motions of gravitating masses, and propagate as waves outward from their source at the speed of light. They were first proposed by Oliver Heaviside in 1893 and then later by Henri Poincaré in 1905 as the gravitational equivalent of electromagnetic waves. Gravitational waves are sometimes called gravity waves, but gravity waves typically refer to displacement waves in fluids. In 1916 Albert Einstein demonstrated that gravitational waves result from his general theory of relativity as ripples in spacetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravitational-wave observatory</span> Device used to measure gravitational waves

A gravitational-wave detector is any device designed to measure tiny distortions of spacetime called gravitational waves. Since the 1960s, various kinds of gravitational-wave detectors have been built and constantly improved. The present-day generation of laser interferometers has reached the necessary sensitivity to detect gravitational waves from astronomical sources, thus forming the primary tool of gravitational-wave astronomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravitational-wave astronomy</span> Branch of astronomy using gravitational waves

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binary black hole</span> System consisting of two black holes in close orbit around each other

A binary black hole (BBH), or black hole binary, is a system consisting of two black holes in close orbit around each other. Like black holes themselves, binary black holes are often divided into stellar binary black holes, formed either as remnants of high-mass binary star systems or by dynamic processes and mutual capture; and binary supermassive black holes, believed to be a result of galactic mergers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First observation of gravitational waves</span> 2015 direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO and VIRGO interferometers

The first direct observation of gravitational waves was made on 14 September 2015 and was announced by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations on 11 February 2016. Previously, gravitational waves had been inferred only indirectly, via their effect on the timing of pulsars in binary star systems. The waveform, detected by both LIGO observatories, matched the predictions of general relativity for a gravitational wave emanating from the inward spiral and merger of a pair of black holes of around 36 and 29 solar masses and the subsequent "ringdown" of the single resulting black hole. The signal was named GW150914. It was also the first observation of a binary black hole merger, demonstrating both the existence of binary stellar-mass black hole systems and the fact that such mergers could occur within the current age of the universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GW170104</span>

GW170104 was a gravitational wave signal detected by the LIGO observatory on 4 January 2017. On 1 June 2017, the LIGO and Virgo collaborations announced that they had reliably verified the signal, making it the third such signal announced, after GW150914 and GW151226, and fourth overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GW170814</span> First black hole event observed jointly by LIGO and Virgo observatories, 2017-08-14

GW170814 was a gravitational wave signal from two merging black holes, detected by the LIGO and Virgo observatories on 14 August 2017. On 27 September 2017, the LIGO and Virgo collaborations announced the observation of the signal, the fourth confirmed event after GW150914, GW151226 and GW170104. It was the first binary black hole merger detected by LIGO and Virgo together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GW170608</span>

GW170608 was a gravitational wave event that was recorded on 8 June 2017 at 2:01:16.49 UTC by Advanced LIGO. It originated from the merger of two black holes with masses of and . The resulting black hole had a mass around 18 solar masses. About one solar mass was converted to energy in the form of gravitational waves.

GW 190412 was a gravitational wave (GW) signal observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors on 12 April 2019. In April 2020, it was announced as the first time a collision of a pair of very differently sized black holes has been detected. As a result of this asymmetry, the signal included two measurable harmonics with frequencies approximately a factor 1.5 apart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GW190814</span> Gravitational wave of a "mass gap" collision

GW 190814 was a gravitational wave (GW) signal observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors on 14 August 2019 at 21:10:39 UTC, and having a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network. The signal was associated with the astronomical super event S190814bv, located 790 million light years away, in location area 18.5 deg2 towards Cetus or Sculptor. No optical counterpart was discovered despite an extensive search of the probability region.

Lisa Barsotti is a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kavli Institute.

Ground-based interferometric gravitational-wave search refers to the use of extremely large interferometers built on the ground to passively detect gravitational wave events from throughout the cosmos. Most recorded gravitational wave observations have been made using this technique; the first detection, revealing the merger of two black holes, was made in 2015 by the LIGO sites.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Abbott, B. P.; et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration) (15 June 2016). "GW151226: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a 22-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence". Physical Review Letters . 116 (24): 241103. arXiv: 1606.04855 . Bibcode:2016PhRvL.116x1103A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.241103. PMID   27367379. S2CID   118651851.
  2. ↑ Commissariat, Tushna (15 June 2016). "LIGO detects second black-hole merger". Physics World . Institute of Physics. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 Chu, Jennifer (15 June 2016). "For second time, LIGO detects gravitational waves". MIT News. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Cho, Adrian (15 June 2016). "LIGO detects another black hole crash". Science News. doi:10.1126/science.aaf5784 . Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  5. ↑ Ball, Philip (15 June 2016). "Focus: LIGO Bags Another Black Hole Merger". American Physical Society . Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  6. ↑ Castelvecchi, Davide (15 June 2016). "LIGO detects whispers of another black-hole merger". Nature News. Vol. 534, no. 7608. pp. 448–449. Bibcode:2016Natur.534..448C. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.20093 . Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Knispel, Benjamin (15 June 2016). "Gravitational waves 2.0". Max Planck Society . Retrieved 16 June 2016.
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