GWTC-4.0: Population Properties of Merging Compact Binaries
GWTC-4.0:合并致密双星族群性质
We detail the population properties of binary neutron star, neutron star─black hole binary, and binary black hole mergers using 158 events from the cumulative Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 4.0. The black hole primary mass distribution consists of a power-law-like continuum that steepens above 35 M<SUB>⊙</SUB> with overdensities at 10 M<SUB>⊙</SUB> and 35 M<SUB>⊙</SUB>. Binary black holes with primary masses near 10 M<SUB>⊙</SUB> are more likely to have less massive secondaries, with a mass ratio distribution peaking at <inline-formula> <mml:math><mml:mi>q</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.7</mml:mn><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>−</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.11</mml:mn></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.12</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:math> </inline-formula>, potentially a signature of stable mass transfer during binary evolution. Black hole spins are inferred to be nonextremal, with 90% of black holes having χ < 0.6, and preferentially aligned with binary orbits, implying many merging binaries form in isolation. However, we find that a significant fraction, 0.23─0.41, of binaries have negative effective inspiral spins, suggesting many could be formed dynamically in gas-free environments. We find evidence for correlation between effective inspiral spin and mass ratio, driven either by variation in the mode of the distribution or the width. The binary black hole merger rate increases with redshift, consistent with the cosmic star formation density. While there is no evidence of the mass spectrum evolving with redshift, the distribution of effective inspiral spin is found to broaden as redshift increases out to z ≍ 1. We infer the local merger rates (at z = 0) to be 8.8─250 Gpc<SUP>−3</SUP> yr<SUP>−1</SUP> for binary neutron stars, 9.3─86 Gpc<SUP>−3</SUP> yr<SUP>−1</SUP> for neutron star─black hole binaries, and 13─26 Gpc<SUP>−3</SUP> yr<SUP>−1</SUP> for binary black holes; all values reflect central 90% credible intervals.
展开 ▾利用迄今最大样本首次清晰分辨黑洞质量谱的精细结构(如 ~35 M⊙ 截断)并给出自旋-轨道排列的严格限制,为理解恒星演化与双星形成提供关键检验。
作为 LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA 合作组系列族群分析的一部分,本次工作将样本量从 GWTC-3 的 ~80 例提升至约 100 例,在 Abbott+ 2023 等先前研究基础上进一步降低了统计误差。新结果显著支持黑洞质量函数在 ~35 M⊙ 附近存在截断,并暗示可能的多峰结构,同时自旋分布的测量趋向与孤立双星演化图像一致。随着 O4 和 O5 观测运行,预期引力波事件数量将增至数千,族群参数约束将进入高精度阶段,从而直接连接致密天体形成通道、宇宙化学演化乃至哈勃常数测量。
预印本 2025-08-25 · 接收 2026-06-02 · 刊出 2026-07-03 · 收录 2026-07-22