Compact Binary Sources Research Articles

The effects of host galaxy properties on merging compact binaries detectable by LIGO

Cosmological simulations of galaxy formation can produce present-day galaxies with a large range of assembly and star formation histories. A detailed study of the metallicity evolution and star formation history of such simulations can assist in predicting LIGO-detectable compact object binary mergers. Recent simulations of compact binary evolution suggest the compact object merger rate depends sensitively on the progenitor's metallicity. Rare low-metallicity star formation during galaxy assembly can produce more detected compact binaries than typical star formation. Using detailed simulations of galaxy and chemical evolution, we determine how sensitively the compact binary populations of galaxies with similar present-day appearance depend on the details of their assembly. We also demonstrate by concrete example the extent to which dwarf galaxies overabundantly produce compact binary mergers, particularly binary black holes, relative to more massive galaxies. We discuss the implications for transient multimessenger astronomy with compact binary sources.

Rapid gravitational wave parameter estimation with a single spin: Systematic uncertainties in parameter estimation with the SpinTaylorF2 approximation

Reliable low-latency gravitational wave parameter estimation is essential to target limited electromagnetic followup facilities toward astrophysically interesting and electromagnetically relevant sources of gravitational waves. In this study, we examine the tradeoff between speed and accuracy. Specifically, we estimate the astrophysical relevance of systematic errors in the posterior parameter distributions derived using a fast-but-approximate waveform model, SpinTaylorF2 (STF2), in parameter estimation with lalinference_mcmc. Though efficient, the STF2 approximation to compact binary inspiral employs approximate kinematics (e.g., a single spin) and an approximate waveform (e.g., frequency domain versus time domain). More broadly, using a large astrophysically-motivated population of generic compact binary merger signals, we report on the effectualness and limitations of this single-spin approximation as a method to infer parameters of generic compact binary sources. For most low-mass compact binary sources, we find that the STF2 approximation estimates compact binary parameters with biases comparable to systematic uncertainties in the waveform. We illustrate by example the effect these systematic errors have on posterior probabilities most relevant to low-latency electromagnetic followup: whether the secondary is has a mass consistent with a neutron star; whether the masses, spins, and orbit are consistent with that neutron star's tidal disruption; and whether the binary's angular momentum axis is oriented along the line of sight.

Parameter estimation on compact binary coalescences with abruptly terminating gravitational waveforms

Gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy seeks to extract information about astrophysical systems from the GW signals they emit. For coalescing compact-binary sources this requires accurate model templates for the inspiral and, potentially, the subsequent merger and ringdown. Models with frequency-domain waveforms that terminate abruptly in the sensitive band of the detector are often used for parameter-estimation studies. We show that the abrupt waveform termination contains significant information that affects parameter-estimation accuracy. If the sharp cutoff is not physically motivated, this extra information can lead to misleadingly good accuracy claims. We also show that using waveforms with a cutoff as templates to recover complete signals can lead to biases in parameter estimates. We evaluate when the information content in the cutoff is likely to be important in both cases. We also point out that the standard Fisher matrix formalism, frequently employed for approximately predicting parameter-estimation accuracy, cannot properly incorporate an abrupt cutoff that is present in both signals and templates; this observation explains some previously unexpected results found in the literature. These effects emphasize the importance of using complete waveforms with accurate merger and ringdown phases for parameter estimation.

Towards rapid parameter estimation on gravitational waves from compact binaries using interpolated waveforms

Accurate parameter estimation of gravitational waves from coalescing compact binary sources is a key requirement for gravitational-wave astronomy. Evaluating the posterior probability density function of the binary's parameters (component masses, sky location, distance, etc.) requires computing millions of waveforms. The computational expense of parameter estimation is dominated by waveform generation and scales linearly with the waveform computational cost. Previous work showed that gravitational waveforms from non-spinning compact binary sources are amenable to a truncated singular value decomposition, which allows them to be reconstructed via interpolation at fixed computational cost. However, the accuracy requirement for parameter estimation is typically higher than for searches, so it is crucial to ascertain that interpolation does not lead to significant errors. Here we provide a proof of principle to show that interpolated waveforms can be used to recover posterior probability density functions with negligible loss in accuracy with respect to non-interpolated waveforms. This technique has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of parameter estimation.

Spherical harmonic modes of 5.5 post-Newtonian gravitational wave polarizations and associated factorized resummed waveforms for a particle in circular orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole

Recent breakthroughs in numerical relativity enable one to examine the validity of the post-Newtonian expansion in the late stages of inspiral. For the comparison between post-Newtonian (PN) expansion and numerical simulations, the waveforms in terms of the spin-weighted spherical harmonics are more useful than the plus and cross polarizations, which are used for data analysis of gravitational waves. Factorized resummed waveforms achieve better agreement with numerical results than the conventional Taylor expanded post-Newtonian waveforms. In this paper, we revisit the post-Newtonian expansion of gravitational waves for a test-particle of mass $\m$ in circular orbit of radius $r_0$ around a Schwarzschild black hole of mass $M$ and derive the spherical harmonic components associated with the gravitational wave polarizations up to order $v^{11}$ beyond Newtonian. Using the more accurate $h_{\ell m}$'s computed in this work, we provide the more complete set of associated $\rho_{\ell m}$'s and $\delta_{\ell m}$'s that form important bricks in the factorized resummation of waveforms with potential applications for the construction of further improved waveforms for prototypical compact binary sources in the future. We also provide ready-to-use expressions of the 5.5PN gravitational waves polarizations $h_+$ and $h_\times$ in the test-particle limit for gravitational wave data analysis applications. Additionally, we provide closed analytical expressions for 2.5PN $h_{\ell m}$, 2PN $\rho_{\ell m}$ and 3PN $\delta_{\ell m}$, for general multipolar orders $\ell$ and $m$ in the test-particle limit. Finally, we also examine the implications of the present analysis for compact binary sources in Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.

KINEMATICS OF THE HELICAL NUCLEAR JETS OF NGC 4258

ABSTRACT (N II]λ 6583 line profiles across the disk of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 4258. The spectral grid spans 5' and resolves velocity structure across the prominent "four-branched jet". We find that the jets have total ionized mass 1.5 X 106Msun_ and [N II] λ6583/Hot ratios consistent with shock excitation (1 in the SE jet). Velocity dispersions along the SE jet average 80 km s-1^, compared to 40 km s-1^ in the H II regions. This broadening arises from a striking spatio- kinematic helicity of at least two plasma streams that wind through the observed phase subspace. Gaussian decomposition shows that the internal velocity dispersion of each helix is 100 km s-1^ In the SE we observe three cycles of wavelength 560 pc and ~170 pc transverse amplitude. A ballistic interpretation of the braiding at radii within 1 kpc and tangential (interpreted as source orbital) velocities of 150 Km s-1^ yields a deprojected outflow velocity of 1200 km s-1^, compact binary source masses of O(107^) Msun_, and source separation O10 pc. However, the detailed kinematic structure shows that some of the motion is along the helices.

Relativistic cosmic-ray spectra in the fully nonlinear theory of shock acceleration.

Cosmic-ray spectra are calculated within the fully nonlinear theory of shock acceleration including the finite phase velocity of the scattering Alfv\'en waves. The spectra are weakly dependent on shock parameters over the range typical of supernova remnants, and in good agreement with the observations. Nevertheless, the very hard spectra indicated by ultrahigh-energy observations of compact binary sources can be accounted for with extremely strong shocks.

Is Cygnus X-3 strange?

We discuss the recently reported measurements of the properties of high energy cosmic rays arriving from the direction of the compact binary X-ray source Cygnus X-3. We argue that the source of these events may be a strange quark star, and that the primary which directly produces them is a low baryon number neutral hadron with multiple strangeness which is stable up to (at least) simultaneous double strangeness changing weak decays.

Spectral variability in early-type binary X-ray systems

Theoretical models for the ionization of trace elements in a strong stellar wind by a compact binary X-ray source and for the resulting orbital phase dependence of the emergent soft X-ray spectra and the profiles of ultraviolet resonance lines are presented. Model results agree qualitatively with the X-ray and ultraviolet spectra of the system 4U 0900-40/HD 77581 and explain the suppression of the absorption profiles of the Si IV upsilon 1394 and C IV upsilon 1548 lines when the X-ray sources is in front of the star. The model predicts that the absorption profiles of the N V upsilon 1239 and O VI upsilon 1032 lines will be enhanced rather than suppressed during this orbital phase. We predict phase-dependent linear polarization in the resonance lines profiles. Future observations of these phase dependent effects in early-type binary X-ray systems may be used to investigate the dynamics of stellar winds and their interactions with the X-ray source.

Observations of the X-ray sources in the nearby SC galaxy M33

Two observations of the Local Group spiral M33 with the Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) on the Einstein Observatory reveal the presence of 11 point sources which, if at the distance of M33, have X-ray luminosities ranging from 10 to the 37th ergs/sec to 10 to the 39th ergs/sec. The brightest source, coincident with the nucleus of the galaxy, comprises approximately 70% of the total X-ray luminosity of the galaxy. If this source is a single source, it must be qualitatively different from the compact binary sources which dominate the X-ray luminosity of the Galaxy.