# Gravitational-Wave Astronomy Domain: Fundamental & Quantum Physics · 275 papers indexed · newest 2026-10-29 LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA compact-binary catalogs, multimessenger neutron-star mergers, the nanohertz pulsar-timing background and tests of general relativity. Key concepts: gravitational waves, binary black hole, neutron star merger, pulsar timing array, LIGO, gravitational-wave background, tests of general relativity ## Most influential - **[Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1602.03837)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2016 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:1602.03837 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.061102 · 14,246 citations). Source: > On September 14, 2015 at 09:50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory simultaneously observed a transient gravitational-wave signal. The signal sweeps upwards in frequency from 35 to 250 Hz with a peak gravitational-wave strain of $1.0 \\times 10^{-21}$. It matches the waveform predicted by general relativity for the inspiral and merger of a pair of black holes and the ringdown of the resulting single black hole. The signal was observed with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a false alarm rate estimated to be less than 1 event per 203 … - **[GWTC-1: A Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog of Compact Binary Mergers Observed by LIGO and Virgo during the First and Second Observing Runs](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1811.12907)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2019 · Physical Review X (arXiv:1811.12907 · doi:10.1103/physrevx.9.031040 · 3,529 citations). Source: > We present the results from three gravitational-wave searches for coalescing compact binaries with component masses above 1$\\mathrm{M}\_\\odot$ during the first and second observing runs of the Advanced gravitational-wave detector network. During the first observing run (O1), from September $12^\\mathrm{th}$, 2015 to January $19^\\mathrm{th}$, 2016, gravitational waves from three binary black hole mergers were detected. The second observing run (O2), which ran from November $30^\\mathrm{th}$, 2016 to August $25^\\mathrm{th}$, 2017, saw the first detection of gravitational waves from a binary neutron… - **[GWTC-2: Compact Binary Coalescences Observed by LIGO and Virgo during the First Half of the Third Observing Run](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2010.14527)**. R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham et al. · 2021 · Physical Review X (arXiv:2010.14527 · doi:10.1103/physrevx.11.021053 · 2,246 citations). Source: > We report on gravitational wave discoveries from compact binary coalescences detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in the first half of the third observing run (O3a) between 1 April 2019 15:00 UTC and 1 October 2019 15:00. By imposing a false-alarm-rate threshold of two per year in each of the four search pipelines that constitute our search, we present 39 candidate gravitational wave events. At this threshold, we expect a contamination fraction of less than 10%. Of these, 26 candidate events were reported previously in near real-time through GCN Notices and Circulars; 13 are reported h… - **[GW190814: Gravitational Waves from the Coalescence of a 23 Solar Mass Black Hole with a 2.6 Solar Mass Compact Object](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2006.12611)**. R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham et al. · 2020 · The Astrophysical Journal Letters (arXiv:2006.12611 · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab960f · 1,830 citations). Source: > We report the observation of a compact binary coalescence involving a 22.2 - 24.3 $M\_{\\odot}$ black hole and a compact object with a mass of 2.50 - 2.67 $M\_{\\odot}$ (all measurements quoted at the 90$\\%$ credible level). The gravitational-wave signal, GW190814, was observed during LIGO's and Virgo's third observing run on August 14, 2019 at 21:10:39 UTC and has a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network. The source was localized to 18.5 deg$^2$ at a distance of $241^{+41}\_{-45}$ Mpc; no electromagnetic counterpart has been confirmed to date. The source has the most unequal mas… - **[GW190425: Observation of a Compact Binary Coalescence with Total Mass ∼ 3.4 M ⊙](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2001.01761)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2020 · The Astrophysical Journal Letters (arXiv:2001.01761 · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab75f5 · 1,607 citations). Source: > On 2019 April 25, the LIGO Livingston detector observed a compact binary coalescence with signal-to-noise ratio 12.9. The Virgo detector was also taking data that did not contribute to detection due to a low signal-to-noise ratio, but were used for subsequent parameter estimation. The 90% credible intervals for the component masses range from 1.12 to 2.52 $M\_{\\odot}$ (1.45 to 1.88 $M\_{\\odot}$ if we restrict the dimensionless component spin magnitudes to be smaller than 0.05). These mass parameters are consistent with the individual binary components being neutron stars. However, both the sourc… - **[Tests of General Relativity with GW150914](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1602.03841)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2016 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:1602.03841 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.221101 · 1,780 citations). Source: > The LIGO detection of GW150914 provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the two-body motion of a compact-object binary in the large velocity, highly nonlinear regime, and to witness the final merger of the binary and the excitation of uniquely relativistic modes of the gravitational field. We carry out several investigations to determine whether GW150914 is consistent with a binary black-hole merger in general relativity. We find that the final remnant's mass and spin, as determined from the low-frequency (inspiral) and high-frequency (post-inspiral) phases of the signal, are mutually co… - **[GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M ⊙](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2009.01075)**. R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, S. Abraham et al. · 2020 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:2009.01075 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.125.101102 · 1,312 citations). Source: > On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of $85^{+21}\_{-14} M\_{\\odot}$ and $66^{+17}\_{-18} M\_{\\odot}$ (90 % credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational… - **[Search for an isotropic gravitational-wave background with the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2306.16215)**. Daniel J. Reardon, Andrew Zic, Ryan M. Shannon et al. · 2023 · The Astrophysical Journal Letters (arXiv:2306.16215 · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/acdd02 · 1,160 citations). Source: > Pulsar timing arrays aim to detect nanohertz-frequency gravitational waves (GWs). A background of GWs modulates pulsar arrival times and manifests as a stochastic process, common to all pulsars, with a signature spatial correlation. Here we describe a search for an isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background (GWB) using observations of 30 millisecond pulsars from the third data release of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA), which spans 18 years. Using current Bayesian inference techniques we recover and characterize a common-spectrum noise process. Represented as a strain spectrum $h… - **[Binary Black Hole Mergers in the First Advanced LIGO Observing Run](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1606.04856)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2016 · Physical Review X (arXiv:1606.04856 · doi:10.1103/physrevx.6.041015 · 1,395 citations). Source: > The first observational run of the Advanced LIGO detectors, from September 12, 2015 to January 19, 2016, saw the first detections of gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers. In this paper we present full results from a search for binary black hole merger signals with total masses up to $100 M\_\\odot$ and detailed implications from our observations of these systems. Our search, based on general-relativistic models of gravitational wave signals from binary black hole systems, unambiguously identified two signals, GW150914 and GW151226, with a significance of greater than $5σ$ over the … - **[GW170608: Observation of a 19 Solar-mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1711.05578)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott et al. · 2017 · The Astrophysical Journal Letters (arXiv:1711.05578 · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa9f0c · 1,231 citations). Source: > On June 8, 2017 at 02:01:16.49 UTC, a gravitational-wave signal from the merger of two stellar-mass black holes was observed by the two Advanced LIGO detectors with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13. This system is the lightest black hole binary so far observed, with component masses $12^{+7}\_{-2}\\,M\_\\odot$ and $7^{+2}\_{-2}\\,M\_\\odot$ (90% credible intervals). These lie in the range of measured black hole masses in low-mass X-ray binaries, thus allowing us to compare black holes detected through gravitational waves with electromagnetic observations. The source's luminosity distance is $340^… - **[Did LIGO Detect Dark Matter?](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1603.00464)**. Simeon Bird, Ilias Cholis, Julián B. Muñoz et al. · 2016 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:1603.00464 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.201301 · 1,226 citations). Source: > We consider the possibility that the black-hole (BH) binary detected by LIGO may be a signature of dark matter. Interestingly enough, there remains a window for masses $20\\,M\_\\odot \\lesssim M\_{\\rm bh} \\lesssim 100\\, M\_\\odot$ where primordial black holes (PBHs) may constitute the dark matter. If two BHs in a galactic halo pass sufficiently close, they radiate enough energy in gravitational waves to become gravitationally bound. The bound BHs will rapidly spiral inward due to emission of gravitational radiation and ultimately merge. Uncertainties in the rate for such events arise from our imprec… - **[A gravitational-wave standard siren measurement of the Hubble constant](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1710.05835)**. B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. M. C. Abbott et al. · 2017 · Nature (arXiv:1710.05835 · doi:10.1038/nature24471 · 1,201 citations). Source: > The detection of GW170817 in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves heralds the age of gravitational-wave multi-messenger astronomy. On 17 August 2017 the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors observed GW170817, a strong signal from the merger of a binary neutron-star system. Less than 2 seconds after the merger, a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) was detected within a region of the sky consistent with the LIGO-Virgo-derived location of the gravitational-wave source. This sky region was subsequently observed by optical astronomy facilities, resulting in the identification of an optical tr… - **[Population of Merging Compact Binaries Inferred Using Gravitational Waves through GWTC-3](https://space-kitty.com/papers/doi:10.1103/physrevx.13.011048)**. R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott, F. Acernese et al. · 2023 · Physical Review X (doi:10.1103/physrevx.13.011048 · 890 citations). Source: > We report on the population properties of compact binary mergers inferred from gravitational-wave observations of these systems during the first three LIGO-Virgo observing runs. The Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 3 (GWTC-3) contains signals consistent with three classes of binary mergers: binary black hole, binary neutron star, and neutron star–black hole mergers. We infer the binary neutron star merger rate to be between 10 and 1700 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 and the neutron star–black hole merger rate to be between 7.8 and 140 Gpc − 3 yr − 1 , assuming a constant rate density in the comoving frame… > _Abstract excerpt by R. Abbott et al., CC-BY, https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.13.011048; truncated._ - **[Bilby: A User-friendly Bayesian Inference Library for Gravitational-wave Astronomy](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1811.02042)**. Gregory Ashton, Moritz Hübner, Paul D. Lasky et al. · 2019 · The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (arXiv:1811.02042 · doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ab06fc · 1,147 citations). Source: > Bayesian parameter estimation is fast becoming the language of gravitational-wave astronomy. It is the method by which gravitational-wave data is used to infer the sources' astrophysical properties. We introduce a user-friendly Bayesian inference library for gravitational-wave astronomy, Bilby. This python code provides expert-level parameter estimation infrastructure with straightforward syntax and tools that facilitate use by beginners. It allows users to perform accurate and reliable gravitational-wave parameter estimation on both real, freely-available data from LIGO/Virgo, and simulated d… - **[Electromagnetic counterparts of compact object mergers powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1001.5029)**. Brian D. Metzger, Gabriel Martínez-Pinedo, Siva Darbha et al. · 2010 · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (arXiv:1001.5029 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16864.x · 1,183 citations). Source: > The most promising astrophysical sources of kHz gravitational waves (GWs) are the inspiral and merger of binary neutron star(NS)/black hole systems. Maximizing the scientific return of a GW detection will require identifying a coincident electro-magnetic (EM) counterpart. One of the most likely sources of isotropic EM emission from compact object mergers is a supernova-like transient powered by the radioactive decay of heavy elements synthesized in ejecta from the merger. We present the first calculations of the optical transients from compact object mergers that self-consistently determine th… ## Newest - **[Gravitational lensing of gravitational waves by a Kerr black hole](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39181)**. Jian-hua He · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39181). Source: - **[Energy-flux noise induced by imperfections of the Gaussian beam in the Li-Baker HFGW detector](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39248)**. Lin-Lin Yang, Hao Yu, Pan-Pan Wang et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39248). Source: - **[Scalar-induced gravitational waves in spatially covariant gravity with two tensorial degrees of freedom](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39252)**. Jia-Xi Feng, Yang Yu, Yan-Heng Yu et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39252). Source: - **[Robustness-based selection of laser-locking architectures for time-delay interferometry in space-based gravitational-wave detectors](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39432)**. Hao-Kang Chen, Pan-Pan Wang, Cheng-Gang Shao · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39432). Source: - **[The Pointing Error Due To Laser Propagation in Space Plasma for TianQin Gravitational Wave Detection](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39587)**. S. W. Zhou, W. Su, S. Y. Zhou et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39587 · doi:10.1029/2025sw004784). Source: - **[Searching for axion-like particles with space-based optical lattice clock networks](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39725)**. Yu-Song Cao, Nick Houston, YanXia Liu et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39725). Source: - **[Robust statistical significance for Gravitational Wave inference](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39785)**. Alexandre Sébastien Göttel · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39785). Source: - **[RAKI: High-Order Alternative Finite Differences for General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39792)**. Rahime Matur, Beyhan Karakas, Ian Hawke et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39792). Source: - **[The first mass peak of merging black holes from core binding energies and jet-driven explosions](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39801)**. Nikki Yat Ning Wang, Dmitry Shishkin, Noam Soker · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39801). Source: - **[Tidal disruption or plunge: the role of neutron star internal structure in black hole-neutron star mergers](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39862)**. Yatharth Chaurasiya, Ritam Mallick · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39862). 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