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)

References in corpus (3)

• Robust parameter estimation for compact binaries with ground-based gravitational-wave observations using the LALInference software library
• Comparison of post-Newtonian templates for compact binary inspiral signals in gravitational-wave detectors
• Gravitational-Wave Astronomy with Inspiral Signals of Spinning Compact-Object Binaries

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Neutron stars versus black holes: probing the mass gap with LIGO/Virgo