Gravitational waveforms for black hole binaries with unequal masses

TL;DR

This paper derives a new gravitational waveform model for unequal mass, spinning black hole binaries, focusing on the late inspiral phase where the larger spin dominates, aiding future gravitational wave detection.

Contribution

It introduces Spin-Dominated Waveforms (SDW), a novel post-Newtonian model that simplifies the waveform description during the late inspiral of unequal mass black hole binaries.

Findings

SDW waveforms are valid in the late inspiral phase.

The model is a double expansion in PN parameter and spin ratio.

Applicable to common sources for future detectors.

Abstract

We derived a post-Newtonian (PN) inspiral only gravitational waveform for unequal mass, spinning black hole binaries. Towards the end of the inspiral the larger spin dominates over the orbital angular momentum (while the smaller spin is negligible), hence the name Spin-Dominated Waveforms (SDW). Such systems are common sources for future gravitational wave detectors and during the inspiral the largest amplitude waves are emitted exactly in its last part. The SDW waveforms emerge as a double expansion in the PN parameter and the ratio of the orbital angular momentum to the dominant spin.