Setting the cornerstone for the IMRPhenomX family of models for gravitational waves from compact binaries: The dominant harmonic for non-precessing quasi-circular black holes

Abstract

In this paper we present IMRP XAS, a thorough overhaul of the IMRP D [1, 2] waveform model, which describes the dominant l = 2, |m| = 2 spherical harmonic mode of non-precessing coalescing black holes in terms of piecewise closed form expressions in the frequency domain. Improvements include in particular the accurate treatment of unequal spin effects, and the inclusion of extreme mass ratio waveforms. IMRP D has previously been extended to approximately include spin precession [3] and subdominant spherical harmonics [4], and with its extensions it has become a standard tool in gravitational wave parameter estimation. Improved extensions of IMRP XAS are discussed in companion papers [5,6].

Accelerating the evaluation of inspiral–merger–ringdown waveforms with adapted grids

“…The first ingredient will be to identify the end of the inspiral. In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28].…”

“…In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28]. The Lorentzian dominates the phase derivative and is given by (see equation ( 6.3) in [3])…”

Accelerating the evaluation of inspiral–merger–ringdown waveforms with adapted grids

“…The first ingredient will be to identify the end of the inspiral. In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28].…”

“…In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28]. The Lorentzian dominates the phase derivative and is given by (see equation ( 6.3) in [3])…”

Validity of common modelling approximations for precessing binary black holes with higher-order modes

“…For all confident BBH detections, the emitted signal was found to be consistent with predictions from General Relativity [7,8] and consistent with compact binaries whose spins are aligned with the orbital angular momentum L [3]. The GW signal of such aligned-spin binaries is well described by the current generation of semi-analytic waveform models [9][10][11][12][13] governing the inspiral, merger and ringdown. More recent work [14][15][16][17] has focused on extending these waveform models to incorporate subdominant harmonics beyond the dominant quadrupolar (2, |2|) modes.…”

Parameter Estimation for Tests of General Relativity with the Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background

“…We may improve upon our results here by making use of a more robust GW spectrum model, such as the IMR-Phenom waveform series [57][58][59]83], when dealing with the 3G detectors. This will allow us to account for the merger and ringdown phases of the BBH events as well as lessen the systematic errors that were involved with our assumption of a power law model.…”

Accelerating the evaluation of inspiral–merger–ringdown waveforms with adapted grids

“…The first ingredient will be to identify the end of the inspiral. In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28].…”

“…In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28]. The Lorentzian dominates the phase derivative and is given by (see equation ( 6.3) in [3])…”

Validity of common modelling approximations for precessing binary black holes with higher-order modes

“…For all confident BBH detections, the emitted signal was found to be consistent with predictions from General Relativity [7,8] and consistent with compact binaries whose spins are aligned with the orbital angular momentum L [3]. The GW signal of such aligned-spin binaries is well described by the current generation of semi-analytic waveform models [9][10][11][12][13] governing the inspiral, merger and ringdown. More recent work [14][15][16][17] has focused on extending these waveform models to incorporate subdominant harmonics beyond the dominant quadrupolar (2, |2|) modes.…”

Parameter Estimation for Tests of General Relativity with the Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background

“…We may improve upon our results here by making use of a more robust GW spectrum model, such as the IMR-Phenom waveform series [57][58][59]83], when dealing with the 3G detectors. This will allow us to account for the merger and ringdown phases of the BBH events as well as lessen the systematic errors that were involved with our assumption of a power law model.…”

Accelerating the evaluation of inspiral–merger–ringdown waveforms with adapted grids

“…The first ingredient will be to identify the end of the inspiral. In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28].…”

“…In [3,28] we confirm that the MECO [36] provides a good approximation for the transition between inspiral and merger for comparable masses. In the merger-ringdown part, the Fourier domain phase derivative is given by a superposition of a Lorentzian function and a background term [3,28]. The Lorentzian dominates the phase derivative and is given by (see equation ( 6.3) in [3])…”

Validity of common modelling approximations for precessing binary black holes with higher-order modes

“…For all confident BBH detections, the emitted signal was found to be consistent with predictions from General Relativity [7,8] and consistent with compact binaries whose spins are aligned with the orbital angular momentum L [3]. The GW signal of such aligned-spin binaries is well described by the current generation of semi-analytic waveform models [9][10][11][12][13] governing the inspiral, merger and ringdown. More recent work [14][15][16][17] has focused on extending these waveform models to incorporate subdominant harmonics beyond the dominant quadrupolar (2, |2|) modes.…”

Parameter Estimation for Tests of General Relativity with the Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background

“…We may improve upon our results here by making use of a more robust GW spectrum model, such as the IMR-Phenom waveform series [57][58][59]83], when dealing with the 3G detectors. This will allow us to account for the merger and ringdown phases of the BBH events as well as lessen the systematic errors that were involved with our assumption of a power law model.…”