A Model-Independent Framework for Gravitational-Wave Reconstruction of Binary Black Hole Hyperbolic Encounters in Ground-Based Interferometers

TL;DR

This paper develops a model-independent framework using wavelet-based algorithms to detect and analyze gravitational waves from hyperbolic black hole encounters in ground-based detectors, expanding detection capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, morphology-independent method employing exponential shapelets for gravitational-wave detection of hyperbolic black hole encounters.

Findings

Detection range up to 200 Mpc for 20 solar mass encounters

Use of BayesWave with exponential shapelets enhances waveform characterization

Forecasts improved detection prospects with current and future interferometers

Abstract

Binary black hole hyperbolic encounters represent a dynamical interaction in which two black holes undergo a close fly-by, emitting gravitational-wave bremsstrahlung in the form of a short-duration, single-cycle transient. These events are expected to occur in dense stellar environments such as globular clusters and both active and quiescent galactic nuclei. In this work, we constrain the detection sensitivity for hyperbolic encounters of black hole pairs with a range of asymmetric masses. We employ BayesWave, a wavelet-based morphology-independent algorithm to characterize hyperbolic encounter waveforms in simulated detector noise; for this study, we explore the use of exponential shapelets. We find that a typical hyperbolic orbit with total mass $20 M_{\odot}$ can be detected up to distance $d_L \sim 40 - 200$ Mpc, and we forecast the possibility of detection by ground-based current and future gravitational wave interferometers.