Astro Chris-We Were Right

My collaborators and I have claimed for years that advanced LIGO would frequently detect coalescing “heavy” binary black holes, most recently at the start of O1. GW150914 is consistent with our expectations, both recent and soon to be updated. Belczynski, Holz, Bulik, and O’Shaughnessy (2016). –> Our predictions have been completely vindicated.

What’s next? In our model, the binary black holes form from prompt collapse of massive stars. In this scenario, I personally expect their spins to be strictly and positively aligned with their orbital angular momentum. If GW150914 formed this way, however, LIGO data requires both black holes have surprisingly low spins.

Will future binary black hole observations support aligned spins? low spin magnitudes at birth? precessing spins? Eccentricity? A mixture of all of the above? All these options favor or disfavor different formation scenarios. Soon, LIGO observations will discriminate between them, converting a theorists’ playground into an observer’s paradise. Let the data decide!

For experts:

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For more information, see the links below, and prior posts

• Our history of predictions Dominik et al 2015, recently updated in Belczynski et al 2015.