“GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2” (2017), by B. P. Abbott et al. Physics and Astronomy research paper. Original abstract below, unchanged. A free PDF is available.

GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2

B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · June 1, 2017 · Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

We describe the observation of GW170104, a gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of a pair of stellar-mass black holes. The signal was measured on January 4, 2017 at 10∶11:58.6 UTC by the twin advanced detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory during their second observing run, with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13 and a false alarm rate less than 1 in 70 000 years. The inferred component black hole masses are 31.2_-6.0^+8.4M⊙ and 19.4_-5.9^+5.3M⊙ (at the 90% credible level). The black hole spins are best constrained through measurement of the effective inspiral spin parameter, a mass-weighted combination of the spin components perpendicular to the orbital plane, χ_eff=-0.12_-0.30^+0.21. This result implies that spin configurations with both component spins positively aligned with the orbital angular momentum are disfavored. The source luminosity distance is 880₋₃₉₀⁺⁴⁵⁰ Mpc corresponding to a redshift of z=0.18_-0.07^+0.08. We constrain the magnitude of modifications to the gravitational-wave dispersion relation and perform null tests of general relativity. Assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum like massive particles, we bound the graviton mass to m_g≤7.7×10⁻²³ eV/c². In all cases, we find that GW170104 is consistent with general relativity.

Free PDF DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.221101