Distinguishing types of compact-object binaries using the gravitational-wave signatures of their mergers

Abstract

We analyze the distinguishability of populations of coalescing binary neutron stars, neutron-star black-hole binaries, and binary black holes, whose gravitational-wave signatures are expected to be observed by the advanced network of ground-based interferometers LIGO and Virgo. We consider population-synthesis predictions for plausible merging binary distributions in mass space, along with measurement accuracy estimates from the main gravitational-wave parameter-estimation pipeline. We find that for our model compact-object binary mass distribution, we can always distinguish binary neutron stars and black-hole--neutron-star binaries, but not necessarily black-hole--neutron-star binaries and binary black holes; however, with a few tens of detections, we can accurately identify the three subpopulations and measure their respective rates.

Revised unabridged version (contains material omitted from published version)

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Cited by in corpus (7)

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• Neutron stars versus black holes: probing the mass gap with LIGO/Virgo
• Measuring neutron star tidal deformability with Advanced LIGO: a Bayesian analysis of neutron star - black hole binary observations
• Unmodelled Clustering Methods for Gravitational Wave Populations of Compact Binary Mergers
• Accuracy in Measuring the Neutron Star Mass in Gravitational Wave Parameter Estimation for Black Hole-Neutron Star Binaries
• Implications of binary black hole detections on the merger rates of double neutron stars and neutron star-black holes
• Revealing physical activity of GRB central engine with macronova/kilonova data