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General-relativistic precession in a black-hole binary

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Hannam

    (Cardiff University)

  • Charlie Hoy

    (Cardiff University)

  • Jonathan E. Thompson

    (Cardiff University)

  • Stephen Fairhurst

    (Cardiff University)

  • Vivien Raymond

    (Cardiff University)

  • Marta Colleoni

    (Universitat de les Illes Balears)

  • Derek Davis

    (LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • Héctor Estellés

    (Universitat de les Illes Balears)

  • Carl-Johan Haster

    (LIGO Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Adrian Helmling-Cornell

    (University of Oregon)

  • Sascha Husa

    (Universitat de les Illes Balears)

  • David Keitel

    (Universitat de les Illes Balears)

  • T. J. Massinger

    (LIGO Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Alexis Menéndez-Vázquez

    (Institut de Fìsica d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)

  • Kentaro Mogushi

    (Missouri University of Science and Technology)

  • Serguei Ossokine

    (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics)

  • Ethan Payne

    (LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • Geraint Pratten

    (University of Birmingham)

  • Isobel Romero-Shaw

    (Monash University
    OzGrav: The ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery
    Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics)

  • Jam Sadiq

    (Universidade de Santiago de Compostela)

  • Patricia Schmidt

    (University of Birmingham)

  • Rodrigo Tenorio

    (Universitat de les Illes Balears)

  • Richard Udall

    (LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • John Veitch

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Daniel Williams

    (University of Glasgow)

  • Anjali Balasaheb Yelikar

    (Rochester Institute of Technology)

  • Aaron Zimmerman

    (University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

The general-relativistic phenomenon of spin-induced orbital precession has not yet been observed in strong-field gravity. Gravitational-wave observations of binary black holes (BBHs) are prime candidates, as we expect the astrophysical binary population to contain precessing binaries1,2. Imprints of precession have been investigated in several signals3–5, but no definitive identification of orbital precession has been reported in any of the 84 BBH observations so far5–7 by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors8,9. Here we report the measurement of strong-field precession in the LIGO–Virgo–Kagra gravitational-wave signal GW200129. The binary’s orbit precesses at a rate ten orders of magnitude faster than previous weak-field measurements from binary pulsars10–13. We also find that the primary black hole is probably highly spinning. According to current binary population estimates, a GW200129-like signal is extremely unlikely, and therefore presents a direct challenge to many current binary-formation models.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Hannam & Charlie Hoy & Jonathan E. Thompson & Stephen Fairhurst & Vivien Raymond & Marta Colleoni & Derek Davis & Héctor Estellés & Carl-Johan Haster & Adrian Helmling-Cornell & Sascha Husa & Dav, 2022. "General-relativistic precession in a black-hole binary," Nature, Nature, vol. 610(7933), pages 652-655, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:610:y:2022:i:7933:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05212-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05212-z
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