Tests of General Relativity with GW150914

(LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations)

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.221101

Tests of General Relativity with GW150914

(LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations)

California Institute of Technology
Louisiana State University
University of Salerno
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Florida
National Science Foundation
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
National Institute for Subatomic Physics
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Leibniz University Hannover
University of Pisa
Australian National University
University of Mississippi
California State University Fullerton
Université Paris-Sud
SPIC Science Foundation
University of Rome Tor Vergata
University of Southampton
University of Hamburg
APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
Montana State University
University of Perugia
European Gravitational Observatory
Syracuse University
University of Glasgow
Université Côte d'Azur
Wigner Research Centre for Physics
Columbia University
Stanford University
University of Padua
Polish Academy of Sciences
University of Birmingham
University of Genoa
Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology
Lomonosov Moscow State University
University of the West of Scotland
University of Western Australia
Radboud University Nijmegen
Eötvös Loránd University
Institut de Physique de Rennes
Washington State University Pullman
University of Urbino
University of Oregon
Sorbonne Université
University of Warsaw
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
University of Maryland, College Park
Georgia Institute of Technology
Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Université de Lyon
University of the Balearic Islands
University of Naples Federico II
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Toronto
Tsinghua University
Texas Tech University
Pennsylvania State University
National Tsing Hua University
Charles Sturt University
The University of Chicago
Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information
Carleton College
University of Rome La Sapienza
University of Brussels
Sonoma State University
Northwestern University
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Melbourne
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
University of Sheffield
University of Sannio
Montclair State University
University of Trento
Cardiff University
National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
University of Edinburgh
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
Institute for Plasma Research
University of Szeged
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
American University Washington DC
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Massachusetts
Adelaide University
West Virginia University
University of Białystok
University of Strathclyde
College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram
RAS - Institute of Applied Physics
Pusan National University
Hanyang University
National Centre for Nuclear Research
Polish Academy of Sciences
Monash University
Seoul National University
University of Alabama in Huntsville
CNRS
University of Camerino
Southern University and A&M College
College of William and Mary
Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho
University of Cambridge
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Whitman College
National Institute for Mathematical Sciences
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
University of Zielona Gora
Andrews University
University of Siena
Trinity University
University of Washington
Kenyon College
Abilene Christian University
Cornell University
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1596 Scopus citations

Abstract

The LIGO detection of GW150914 provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large-velocity, highly nonlinear regime, and to witness the final merger of the binary and the excitation of uniquely relativistic modes of the gravitational field. We carry out several investigations to determine whether GW150914 is consistent with a binary black-hole merger in general relativity. We find that the final remnant's mass and spin, as determined from the low-frequency (inspiral) and high-frequency (postinspiral) phases of the signal, are mutually consistent with the binary black-hole solution in general relativity. Furthermore, the data following the peak of GW150914 are consistent with the least-damped quasinormal mode inferred from the mass and spin of the remnant black hole. By using waveform models that allow for parametrized general-relativity violations during the inspiral and merger phases, we perform quantitative tests on the gravitational-wave phase in the dynamical regime and we determine the first empirical bounds on several high-order post-Newtonian coefficients. We constrain the graviton Compton wavelength, assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum in the same way as particles with mass, obtaining a 90%-confidence lower bound of 1013 km. In conclusion, within our statistical uncertainties, we find no evidence for violations of general relativity in the genuinely strong-field regime of gravity.

Original language	English
Article number	221101
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.221101
State	Published - 3 Jun 2016
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Physical Society.

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for the construction and operation of the LIGO Laboratory and Advanced LIGO as well as the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) of the United Kingdom, the Max-Planck-Society (MPS), and the State of Niedersachsen/Germany for support of the construction of Advanced LIGO and construction and operation of the GEO600 detector. Additional support for Advanced LIGO was provided by the Australian Research Council. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, for the construction and operation of the Virgo detector and the creation and support of the EGO consortium. The authors also gratefully acknowledge research support from these agencies as well as by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India, Department of Science and Technology, India, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India, the Spanish Ministerio de Economa y Competitividad, the Conselleria Economia i Competitivitat and Conselleria Educaci, Cultura i Universitats of the Govern de les Illes Balears, the National Science Centre of Poland, the European Commission, the Royal Society, the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA), the Lyon Institute of Origins (LIO), the National Research Foundation of Korea, Industry Canada and the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Canada, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Leverhulme Trust, the Research Corporation, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Taiwan, and the Kavli Foundation. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the NSF, STFC, MPS, INFN, CNRS, and the State of Niedersachsen/Germany for the provision of computational resources.

Funders	Funder number
Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation
Conselleria Economia i Competitivitat
Conselleria Educaci, Cultura i Universitats
Department of Science and Technology, India, Science and Engineering Research Board
Govern de les Illes Balears
Spanish Ministerio de Economa y Competitividad
National Science Foundation
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Kavli Foundation
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	647839
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Leverhulme Trust
Royal Society
Scottish Funding Council
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
European Commission
Australian Research Council
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India
Science and Engineering Research Board
Russian Foundation for Basic Research
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Hungarian Scientific Research Fund
National Research Foundation of Korea
Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
Narodowe Centrum Nauki
Ministry of Human Resource Development
Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.221101

Cite this

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title = "Tests of General Relativity with GW150914",

abstract = "The LIGO detection of GW150914 provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large-velocity, highly nonlinear regime, and to witness the final merger of the binary and the excitation of uniquely relativistic modes of the gravitational field. We carry out several investigations to determine whether GW150914 is consistent with a binary black-hole merger in general relativity. We find that the final remnant's mass and spin, as determined from the low-frequency (inspiral) and high-frequency (postinspiral) phases of the signal, are mutually consistent with the binary black-hole solution in general relativity. Furthermore, the data following the peak of GW150914 are consistent with the least-damped quasinormal mode inferred from the mass and spin of the remnant black hole. By using waveform models that allow for parametrized general-relativity violations during the inspiral and merger phases, we perform quantitative tests on the gravitational-wave phase in the dynamical regime and we determine the first empirical bounds on several high-order post-Newtonian coefficients. We constrain the graviton Compton wavelength, assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum in the same way as particles with mass, obtaining a 90\%-confidence lower bound of 1013 km. In conclusion, within our statistical uncertainties, we find no evidence for violations of general relativity in the genuinely strong-field regime of gravity.",

author = "\{(LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations)\} and Abbott, \{B. P.\} and R. Abbott and Abbott, \{T. D.\} and Abernathy, \{M. R.\} and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and C. Adams and T. Adams and P. Addesso and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adya, \{V. B.\} and C. Affeldt and M. Agathos and K. Agatsuma and N. Aggarwal and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and B. Allen and A. Allocca and Altin, \{P. A.\} and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and K. Arai and Araya, \{M. C.\} and Arceneaux, \{C. C.\} and Areeda, \{J. S.\} and N. Arnaud and Arun, \{K. G.\} and S. Ascenzi and G. Ashton and M. Ast and Aston, \{S. M.\} and P. Astone and P. Aufmuth and C. Aulbert and S. Babak and P. Bacon and Bader, \{M. K.M.\} and Baker, \{P. T.\} and F. Baldaccini and G. Ballardin and Ballmer, \{S. W.\} and Barayoga, \{J. C.\} and Barclay, \{S. E.\} and Barish, \{B. C.\} and D. Barker and O. Birnholtz and H. Dereli",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Physical Society.",

year = "2016",

month = jun,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.221101",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "116",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

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T1 - Tests of General Relativity with GW150914

AU - (LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations)

AU - Abbott, B. P.

AU - Abbott, R.

AU - Abbott, T. D.

AU - Abernathy, M. R.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adams, C.

AU - Adams, T.

AU - Addesso, P.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adya, V. B.

AU - Affeldt, C.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Agatsuma, K.

AU - Aggarwal, N.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Allen, B.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Altin, P. A.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Arai, K.

AU - Araya, M. C.

AU - Arceneaux, C. C.

AU - Areeda, J. S.

AU - Arnaud, N.

AU - Arun, K. G.

AU - Ascenzi, S.

AU - Ashton, G.

AU - Ast, M.

AU - Aston, S. M.

AU - Astone, P.

AU - Aufmuth, P.

AU - Aulbert, C.

AU - Babak, S.

AU - Bacon, P.

AU - Bader, M. K.M.

AU - Baker, P. T.

AU - Baldaccini, F.

AU - Ballardin, G.

AU - Ballmer, S. W.

AU - Barayoga, J. C.

AU - Barclay, S. E.

AU - Barish, B. C.

AU - Barker, D.

AU - Birnholtz, O.

AU - Dereli, H.

PY - 2016/6/3

Y1 - 2016/6/3

N2 - The LIGO detection of GW150914 provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large-velocity, highly nonlinear regime, and to witness the final merger of the binary and the excitation of uniquely relativistic modes of the gravitational field. We carry out several investigations to determine whether GW150914 is consistent with a binary black-hole merger in general relativity. We find that the final remnant's mass and spin, as determined from the low-frequency (inspiral) and high-frequency (postinspiral) phases of the signal, are mutually consistent with the binary black-hole solution in general relativity. Furthermore, the data following the peak of GW150914 are consistent with the least-damped quasinormal mode inferred from the mass and spin of the remnant black hole. By using waveform models that allow for parametrized general-relativity violations during the inspiral and merger phases, we perform quantitative tests on the gravitational-wave phase in the dynamical regime and we determine the first empirical bounds on several high-order post-Newtonian coefficients. We constrain the graviton Compton wavelength, assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum in the same way as particles with mass, obtaining a 90%-confidence lower bound of 1013 km. In conclusion, within our statistical uncertainties, we find no evidence for violations of general relativity in the genuinely strong-field regime of gravity.

AB - The LIGO detection of GW150914 provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large-velocity, highly nonlinear regime, and to witness the final merger of the binary and the excitation of uniquely relativistic modes of the gravitational field. We carry out several investigations to determine whether GW150914 is consistent with a binary black-hole merger in general relativity. We find that the final remnant's mass and spin, as determined from the low-frequency (inspiral) and high-frequency (postinspiral) phases of the signal, are mutually consistent with the binary black-hole solution in general relativity. Furthermore, the data following the peak of GW150914 are consistent with the least-damped quasinormal mode inferred from the mass and spin of the remnant black hole. By using waveform models that allow for parametrized general-relativity violations during the inspiral and merger phases, we perform quantitative tests on the gravitational-wave phase in the dynamical regime and we determine the first empirical bounds on several high-order post-Newtonian coefficients. We constrain the graviton Compton wavelength, assuming that gravitons are dispersed in vacuum in the same way as particles with mass, obtaining a 90%-confidence lower bound of 1013 km. In conclusion, within our statistical uncertainties, we find no evidence for violations of general relativity in the genuinely strong-field regime of gravity.

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Tests of General Relativity with GW150914

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

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