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Properties and astrophysical implications of the 150 Msun binary black hole merger GW190521

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, The Virgo Collaboration, Abbott, R., Abbott, T. D., Abraham, S., Acernese, F., et al. (2020). Properties and astrophysical implications of the 150 Msun binary black hole merger GW190521. Astrophysical Journal, Letters, 900: L13. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aba493.

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Creators:
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Author
The Virgo Collaboration, Author
Abbott, R., Author
Abbott, T. D., Author
Abraham, S., Author
Acernese, F., Author
Ackley, K., Author
Affeldt, C.1, Author
Agathos, M., Author
Agatsuma, K., Author
Aggarwal, N., Author
Aguiar, O. D., Author
Aich, A., Author
Aiello, L., Author
Ain, A., Author
Ajith, P., Author
Akcay, S., Author
Affiliations:
1Laser Interferometry & Gravitational Wave Astronomy, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_24010
2Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity, AEI-Golm, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_1933290
3Binary Merger Observations and Numerical Relativity, AEI-Hannover, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_2461691
4Computational Relativistic Astrophysics, AEI-Golm, MPI for Gravitational Physics, Max Planck Society, ou_2541714

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Free keywords: Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, astro-ph.HE,General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, gr-qc
Abstract: The gravitational-wave signal GW190521 is consistent with a binary black hole merger source at redshift 0.8 with unusually high component masses, $85^{+21}_{-14}\,M_{\odot}$ and $66^{+17}_{-18}\,M_{\odot}$, compared to previously reported events, and shows mild evidence for spin-induced orbital precession. The primary falls in the mass gap predicted by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova theory, in the approximate range $65 - 120\,M_{\odot}$. The probability that at least one of the black holes in GW190521 is in that range is 99.0%. The final mass of the merger $(142^{+28}_{-16}\,M_{\odot})$ classifies it as an intermediate-mass black hole. Under the assumption of a quasi-circular binary black hole coalescence, we detail the physical properties of GW190521's source binary and its post-merger remnant, including component masses and spin vectors. Three different waveform models, as well as direct comparison to numerical solutions of general relativity, yield consistent estimates of these properties. Tests of strong-field general relativity targeting the merger-ringdown stages of coalescence indicate consistency of the observed signal with theoretical predictions. We estimate the merger rate of similar systems to be $0.13^{+0.30}_{-0.11}\,{\rm Gpc}^{-3}\,\rm{yr}^{-1}$. We discuss the astrophysical implications of GW190521 for stellar collapse, and for the possible formation of black holes in the pair-instability mass gap through various channels: via (multiple) stellar coalescence, or via hierarchical merger of lower-mass black holes in star clusters or in active galactic nuclei. We find it to be unlikely that GW190521 is a strongly lensed signal of a lower-mass black hole binary merger. We also discuss more exotic possible sources for GW190521, including a highly eccentric black hole binary, or a primordial black hole binary.

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Dates: 2020-09-022020
Publication Status: Published in print
Pages: 39 pages, 13 figures; data available at https://dcc.ligo.org/P2000158-v4/public
Publishing info: -
Rev. Type: -
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Title: Astrophysical Journal, Letters
Other : ApJL
Source Genre: Journal
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Publ. Info: Bristol, UK : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOP)
Pages: - Volume / Issue: 900 Sequence Number: L13 Start / End Page: - Identifier: ISSN: 0004-637X
CoNE: https://pure.mpg.de/cone/journals/resource/954922828215_1