Inspiral-merger-ringdown waveforms for black-hole binaries with nonprecessing spins

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 106; no. 24; p. 241101
• Main Authors: Ajith, P, Hannam, M, Husa, S, Chen, Y, Brügmann, B, Dorband, N, Müller, D, Ohme, F, Pollney, D, Reisswig, C, Santamaría, L, Seiler, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 17-06-2011
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.241101

We present the first analytical inspiral-merger-ringdown gravitational waveforms from binary black holes (BBHs) with nonprecessing spins, that is based on a description of the late-inspiral, merger and ringdown in full general relativity. By matching a post-Newtonian description of the inspiral to a set of numerical-relativity simulations, we obtain a waveform family with a conveniently small number of physical parameters. These waveforms will allow us to detect a larger parameter space of BBH coalescence, including a considerable fraction of precessing binaries in the comparable-mass regime, thus significantly improving the expected detection rates.