Interpretation of the binary black hole mass spectrum

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges in interpreting the binary black hole mass spectrum from gravitational-wave data and emphasizes the importance of combining these observations with electromagnetic data for better understanding.

Contribution

It provides a personal perspective on the current state of interpreting black hole mass spectra and highlights the need for integrated observational approaches.

Findings

Gravitational-wave data alone faces challenges in accurately measuring the mass spectrum.

Combining electromagnetic and gravitational-wave observations is crucial for progress.

Current models are limited without multi-messenger data.

Abstract

This is a summary of an invited talk given at the Moriond Gravitation meeting on March 31, 2025. I touch on some of the practical challenges of measuring the mass spectrum of merging binary black holes through their gravitational-wave signatures. I then describe my take on the current state of interpreting the observed binary black hole mass spectrum from the perspective of models for the formation of these sources. I conclude that meaningful progress must rely on the combination of gravitational-wave observations and a broad range of electromagnetic observations of massive stellar binaries at earlier stages of their evolution. This is my very personal and necessarily brief take on the current state of the field and does not aspire to the balance or completeness of a review.