The GW-Universe Toolbox II: constraining the binary black hole population with second and third generation detectors

TL;DR

This paper compares second and third generation gravitational wave detectors in constraining binary black hole populations, demonstrating the superior capabilities of third generation detectors like the Einstein Telescope for high-redshift studies.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive simulation framework for GW observations and compares parametric and non-parametric methods for constraining black hole merger populations across different detector generations.

Findings

Third generation detectors significantly improve high-redshift merger rate constraints.

Parametric Bayesian methods provide some insights beyond detection horizons with current detectors.

Full third generation detector data yields much better population constraints despite similar detection numbers.

Abstract

We employ the method used by the GW-Universe Toolbox to generate a synthetic catalogue of detection of stellar mass binary black hole (BBH) mergers. We study advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and Einstein Telescope (ET) as two representatives for the 2nd and 3rd generation GW observatories, and study how GW observations of BBHs can be used to constrain the merger rate as function of redshift and masses. We also simulate the observations from a detector that is half as sensitive as the ET at design which represents an early phase of ET. Two methods are used to obtain the constraints on the source population properties from the catalogues: 1. parametric differential merger rate model and applies a Bayesian inference on the parameters; and 2. non-parametric and uses weighted Kernel density estimators. The results show the overwhelming advantages of the 3rd generation detector over the 2nd generation for the study of BBH population properties, especially at a redshifts higher than ~2, where the merger rate is believed to peak. With the simulated aLIGO catalogue, the parametric Bayesian method can still give some constraints on the merger rate density and mass function beyond its detecting horizon, while the non-parametric method lose the constraining ability completely there. We also find that, despite the numbers of detection of the half-ET can be easily compatible with full ET after a longer observation duration, the catalogue from the full ET can still give much better constraints on the population properties, due to its smaller uncertainties on the physical parameters of the GW events.