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BPASS predictions for binary black hole mergers
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Eldridge, J. J. and Stanway, Elizabeth R. (2016) BPASS predictions for binary black hole mergers. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 462 (3). pp. 3302-3313. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1772 ISSN 0035-8711.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1772
Abstract
Using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis code, BPASS, we have calculated the rates, time-scales and mass distributions for binary black hole (BH) mergers as a function of metallicity. We consider these in the context of the recently reported first Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) event detection. We find that the event has a very low probability of arising from a stellar population with initial metallicity mass fraction above Z = 0.010 (Z ≳ 0.5 Z⊙). Binary BH merger events with the reported masses are most likely in populations below 0.008 (Z ≲ 0.4 Z⊙). Events of this kind can occur at all stellar population ages from 3 Myr up to the age of the Universe, but constitute only 0.1–0.4 per cent of binary BH mergers between metallicities of Z = 0.001 and 0.008. However at metallicity Z = 10−4, 26 per cent of binary BH mergers would be expected to have the reported masses. At this metallicity, the progenitor merger times can be close to ≈10 Gyr and rotationally mixed stars evolving through quasi-homogeneous evolution, due to mass transfer in a binary, dominate the rate. The masses inferred for the BHs in the binary progenitor of GW 150914 are amongst the most massive expected at anything but the lowest metallicities in our models. We discuss the implications of our analysis for the electromagnetic follow-up of future LIGO event detections.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy | ||||||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics | ||||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Black holes (Astronomy), Gravitational waves, Double stars -- Evolution | ||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | ||||||||||
Publisher: | Oxford University Press | ||||||||||
ISSN: | 0035-8711 | ||||||||||
Official Date: | 1 November 2016 | ||||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 462 | ||||||||||
Number: | 3 | ||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 3302-3313 | ||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1093/mnras/stw1772 | ||||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 24 October 2016 | ||||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 25 October 2016 | ||||||||||
Funder: | University of Auckland, Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC), New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI) , New Zealand. Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment | ||||||||||
Grant number: | ST/L000733/1 (STFC) |
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