GW231123 ringdown: Interpretation as multimodal Kerr signal
GW231123 is a short-duration, low-frequency gravitational-wave signal consistent with a binary black hole coalescence and dominated by the merger-ringdown regime due to the high mass of the source. We demonstrate that fits of this ringdown signal using two quasinormal modes are statistically preferred over single-mode fits, for a broad range of fit start times. We also find that two-mode fits give remnant mass and spin measurements consistent with those of the inspiral-merger-ringdown model NRSur7dq4, whereas one-mode fits struggle to do so. Agreement of our fits with those of NRSur7dq4 is achieved by labeling the two quasinormal modes as the <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mo>ℓ</mml:mo><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mo>)</mml:mo><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula> and (2, 0) Kerr prograde fundamental modes. However, we find some indications that fits with the (2, 1) quasinormal mode instead of the (2, 0) mode may describe the data better, hinting at possible NRSur7dq4 error or other systematics. When fitting at early times near the estimated peak strain, we find that the inclusion of a third mode, an <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mo>ℓ</mml:mo><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mi>m</mml:mi><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mi>n</mml:mi><mml:mo>)</mml:mo><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mn>2</mml:mn><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula> prograde overtone, improves consistency with fits at later times. Finally, we perform a test of general relativity by searching for deviations from the Kerr frequency spectrum. Setting issues of systematics aside, we validate the Kerr frequency and damping rate spectrum to within <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn>10</mml:mn><mml:mo>%</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula> at the 90% credible level using a fundamental mode fit, and we also report <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn>8</mml:mn><mml:mo>%</mml:mo></mml:math></inline-formula> constraints using a model with fundamental modes and an overtone fit at times near the peak strain. Understanding the systematic errors that may be affecting the most accurate analyses of GW231123 is crucial in the context of population and binary formation studies—our (2, 1) mode fits return a significantly higher remnant mass and spin than all available inspiral-merger-ringdown models including NRSur7dq4, and this difference in parameter estimates may have astrophysical implications.
展开 ▾GW231123铃宕:作为多模克尔信号的解释 · 对GW231123的铃宕信号进行多准正则模式拟合,发现双模式优于单模式,验证了克尔黑洞频谱,并给出了广义相对论检验的约束。
预印本 2025-11-04 · 刊出 2026-07-20 · 收录 2026-07-27