Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026
08:31
Measurement of Microtubule Dynamics by Spinning Disk Microscopy in Monopolar Mitotic Spindles
Published on: November 15, 2019
5.5K
Measuring the spin of black holes in binary systems using gravitational waves
Salvatore Vitale1, Ryan Lynch1, John Veitch2
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 185 Albany Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|July 12, 2014
Summary
Gravitational wave observations can precisely measure black hole spins in binary systems. Spin magnitudes are estimated with 5%-30% error, and tilt angles with ~0.1 rad error for detectable signals.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Background:
- Compact binary coalescences are primary sources of gravitational waves (GWs) for ground-based detectors.
- Spinning black hole binaries offer insights into spin-orbit interactions and direct spin measurements via GWs.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze simulated GW signals from spinning binaries to assess the precision of black hole spin measurements.
- Evaluate the impact of system parameters (masses, spins, orientations, SNR) on measurement accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Simulated GW signals from binary black hole and neutron star-black hole systems were analyzed.
- Advanced LIGO-Virgo network detection scenarios were considered.
- Errors in estimating spin magnitudes and tilt angles were quantified.
Main Results:
- Spin magnitudes can be estimated with 5%-30% error for moderate to high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) systems.
- Tilt angle errors are around 0.04 rad in optimal cases, typically above 0.1 rad.
- Azimuthal spin angle differences are not constrained; optimal measurements occur when the line of sight is perpendicular to the total angular momentum.
Conclusions:
- Direct measurement of black hole spin using GWs can achieve precision comparable to X-ray binary observations.
- Measurement accuracy is dependent on SNR and viewing angle, with limitations for low-SNR signals.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Detection of Black Holes
1.7K
Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
Their closest cousins are neutron stars, which are composed almost entirely of neutrons packed against each other, making them extremely dense. A neutron star has the same mass as the Sun but its diameter is only a few kilometers. Therefore, the escape velocity from their surface is close to the speed of light.
Not until the 1960s, when the first neutron...
1.7K
01:21Schwarzschild Radius and Event Horizon
2.2K
No object with a finite mass can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This fact has an interesting consequence in the domain of extremely high gravitational fields.
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape...
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape...
2.2K
01:14Gravitation Between Spherically Symmetric Masses
1.5K
The gravitational potential energy between two spherically symmetric bodies can be calculated from the masses and the distance between the bodies, assuming that the center of mass is concentrated at the respective centers of the bodies.
1.5K
01:08Spin–Spin Coupling Constant: Overview
1.2K
In bromoethane, the three methyl protons are coupled to the two methylene protons that are three bonds away. In accordance with the n+1 rule, the signal from the methyl protons is split into three peaks with 1:2:1 relative intensities. The methylene protons appear as a quartet, with the relative intensities of 1:3:3:1.
Qualitatively, any spin plus-half nucleus polarizes the spins of its electrons to the minus-half state. Consequently, the paired electron in the hydrogen–carbon bond must...
Qualitatively, any spin plus-half nucleus polarizes the spins of its electrons to the minus-half state. Consequently, the paired electron in the hydrogen–carbon bond must...
1.2K
01:20Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
1.5K
Two NMR-active nuclei bonded to a central atom can be involved in geminal or two-bond coupling. Geminal coupling is commonly seen between diastereotopic protons in chiral molecules and unsymmetrical alkenes, among others.
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
1.5K
01:02¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
1.3K
Spin systems where the difference in chemical shifts of the coupled nuclei is greater than ten times J are called first-order spin systems. These nuclei are weakly coupled, and their chemical shifts and coupling constant can generally be estimated from the well-separated signals in the spectrum.
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
1.3K