Improved analysis of GW190412 with a precessing numerical relativity surrogate waveform model

TL;DR

This paper refines the analysis of GW190412 using an advanced numerical relativity surrogate waveform model that includes all relevant modes and precession effects, leading to improved parameter estimates and insights into waveform modeling.

Contribution

The study introduces the use of the exttt{NRSur7dq4} surrogate model for GW190412, incorporating all relevant modes and precession effects, providing more accurate source parameter estimates.

Findings

Tighter mass-ratio constraints compared to LVC estimates.

Including all modes affects parameter posteriors even with negligible SNR modes.

Neglecting asymmetric modes has minimal impact on moderate SNR events.

Abstract

The recent observation of GW190412, the first high-mass ratio binary black-hole (BBH) merger, by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration (LVC) provides a unique opportunity to probe the impact of subdominant harmonics and precession effects encoded in a gravitational wave signal. We present refined estimates of source parameters for GW190412 using \texttt{NRSur7dq4}, a recently developed numerical relativity waveform surrogate model that includes all $\ell \leq 4$ spin-weighted spherical harmonic modes as well as the full physical effects of precession. We compare our results with two different variants of phenomenological precessing BBH waveform models, \texttt{IMRPhenomPv3HM} and \texttt{IMRPhenomXPHM}, as well as to the LVC results. Our results are broadly in agreement with \texttt{IMRPhenomXPHM} results and the reported LVC analysis compiled with the \texttt{SEOBNRv4PHM} waveform model, but in tension with \texttt{IMRPhenomPv3HM}. Using the \texttt{NRSur7dq4} model, we provide a tighter constraint on the mass-ratio ($0.26^{+0.08}_{-0.06}$) as compared to the LVC estimate of $0.28^{+0.13}_{-0.07}$ (both reported as median values withs 90\% credible intervals). We also constrain the binary to be more face-on, and find a broader posterior for the spin precession parameter. We further find that even though $\ell=4$ harmonic modes have negligible signal-to-noise ratio, omission of these modes will influence the estimated posterior distribution of several source parameters including chirp mass, effective inspiral spin, luminosity distance, and inclination. We also find that commonly used model approximations, such as neglecting the asymmetric modes (which are generically excited during precession), have negligible impact on parameter recovery for moderate SNR-events similar to GW190412.