Template banks to search for low-mass binary black holes in advanced gravitational-wave detectors

Abstract

Coalescing binary black holes (BBHs) are among the most likely sources for\nthe Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and its\ninternational partners Virgo and KAGRA. Optimal searches for BBHs require\naccurate waveforms for the signal model and effectual template banks that cover\nthe mass space of interest. We investigate the ability of the second-order\npost-Newtonian TaylorF2 hexagonal template placement metric to construct an\neffectual template bank, if the template waveforms used are effective one body\nwaveforms tuned to numerical relativity (EOBNRv2). We find that by combining\nthe existing TaylorF2 placement metric with EOBNRv2 waveforms, we can construct\nan effectual search for BBHs with component masses in the range 3 Msolar <=\nm_1, m_2 <= 25 Msolar. We also show that the (computationally less expensive)\nTaylorF2 post-Newtonian waveforms can be used in place of EOBNRv2 waveforms\nwhen M <~ 11.4 Msolar. Finally, we investigate the effect of modes other than\nthe dominant l = m = 2 mode in BBH searches. We find that for systems with\n(m_1/m_2)<= 1.68 or inclination angle: \\iota <= 0.31 or \\iota >= 2.68 radians,\nthere is no significant loss in the total possible signal-to-noise ratio due to\nneglecting modes other than l = m = 2 in the template waveforms. For a source\npopulation uniformly distributed in spacial volume, over the entire sampled\nregion of the component-mass space, the loss in detection rate (averaged over a\nuniform distribution of inclination angle and sky-location/polarization\nangles), remains below ~11%. For binaries with high mass-ratios \\textit{and}\n0.31 <= \\iota <= 2.68, including higher order modes could increase the\nsignal-to-noise ratio by as much as 8% in Advanced LIGO. Our results can be\nused to construct matched-filter searches in Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo.\n

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Affiliated Institutions

• Syracuse University US

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