Maximum Redshift of Gravitational Wave Merger Events

2017/08/31 by Savvas M. Koushiappas, Abraham Loeb · 48 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Event (particle physics) #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Gaussian #Gravitational redshift #Gravitational wave #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quantum mechanics #Redshift #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.HE #gr-qc

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.119.221104

published in Physical Review Letters 119(22), 221104 (American Physical Society) · 5 pages, 3 figures, Replaced with version accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

arxiv created 2017/10/30 · openalex publication_date 2017/11/30 · arxiv updated 2017/12/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Future generations of gravitational wave detectors will have the sensitivity to detect gravitational wave events at redshifts far beyond any detectable electromagnetic sources. We show that if the observed event rate is greater than one event per year at redshifts z≥40, then the probability distribution of primordial density fluctuations must be significantly non-Gaussian or the events originate from primordial black holes. The nature of the excess events can be determined from the redshift distribution of the merger rate.

Citations

• Merger rates of dark matter haloes
• Limits on the Macho content of the Galactic Halo from the EROS-2 Survey of the Magellanic Clouds
• Relative velocity of dark matter and baryonic fluids and the formation of the first structures
• Cosmic Strings and Their Induced Non‐Gaussianities in the Cosmic Microwave Background
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• Upper Limits on the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run
• Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

Cited by

• Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics: a roadmap
• Effect of gravitational lensing on the distribution of gravitational waves from distant binary black hole mergers