Inferring Eccentricity of Binary Black Holes from Spin-Orbit Misalignment
ORAL
Abstract
Orbital eccentricity in binary black holes is typically erased by gravitational waves, making it difficult to measure. I will discuss a new method to infer formation eccentricity from spin-orbit misalignment, which arises from natal kicks during the second supernova. By measuring spin-tilt with gravitational waves, we can constrain both the natal kick and the binary's original eccentricity. Applying this to GW190412 under an isolated formation scenario, I will show how eccentricity can be recovered even without direct measurements. I will also discuss how future detectors and multiband observations will tighten these constraints, revealing the birth environments and evolution of merging BBHs.
*The work is supported by NASA Hubble Fellowship grant HST-HF2-51548.001-A awarded by the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy,Inc., for NASA, under contract NAS5-26555.
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Presenters
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Vishal Baibhav
- Columbia University