Realistic event rates for detection of supermassive black hole coalescence by LISA

Kirsty J. Rhook; J. Stuart B. Wyithe

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08987.x

Realistic event rates for detection of supermassive black hole coalescence by LISA

Kirsty J. Rhook^*, J. Stuart B. Wyithe

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

46 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The gravitational waves generated during supermassive black hole (SMBH) coalescence are prime candidates for detection by the satellite LISA. We use the extended Press-Schechter formalism combined with empirically motivated estimates for the SMBH-dark matter halo mass relation and SMBH occupation fraction to estimate the maximum coalescence rate for major SMBH mergers. Assuming efficient binary coalescence, and guided by the lowest nuclear black hole mass inferred in local galactic bulges and nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (≈10⁵ M_⊙), we predict approximately 15 detections per year at a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5, in each of the inspiral and ringdown phases. Rare coalescences between SMBHs having masses in excess of 10⁷ M_⊙ will be more readily detected via gravitational waves from the ringdown phase.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1145-1152
Number of pages	8
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	361
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08987.x
Publication status	Published - Aug 2005
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Realistic event rates for detection of supermassive black hole coalescence by LISA",

abstract = "The gravitational waves generated during supermassive black hole (SMBH) coalescence are prime candidates for detection by the satellite LISA. We use the extended Press-Schechter formalism combined with empirically motivated estimates for the SMBH-dark matter halo mass relation and SMBH occupation fraction to estimate the maximum coalescence rate for major SMBH mergers. Assuming efficient binary coalescence, and guided by the lowest nuclear black hole mass inferred in local galactic bulges and nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (≈105 M⊙), we predict approximately 15 detections per year at a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5, in each of the inspiral and ringdown phases. Rare coalescences between SMBHs having masses in excess of 107 M⊙ will be more readily detected via gravitational waves from the ringdown phase.",

keywords = "Black hole physics, Cosmology: theory, Gravitational waves",

author = "Rhook, \{Kirsty J.\} and Wyithe, \{J. Stuart B.\}",

year = "2005",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08987.x",

language = "English",

volume = "361",

pages = "1145--1152",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press ",

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T1 - Realistic event rates for detection of supermassive black hole coalescence by LISA

AU - Rhook, Kirsty J.

AU - Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

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N2 - The gravitational waves generated during supermassive black hole (SMBH) coalescence are prime candidates for detection by the satellite LISA. We use the extended Press-Schechter formalism combined with empirically motivated estimates for the SMBH-dark matter halo mass relation and SMBH occupation fraction to estimate the maximum coalescence rate for major SMBH mergers. Assuming efficient binary coalescence, and guided by the lowest nuclear black hole mass inferred in local galactic bulges and nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (≈105 M⊙), we predict approximately 15 detections per year at a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5, in each of the inspiral and ringdown phases. Rare coalescences between SMBHs having masses in excess of 107 M⊙ will be more readily detected via gravitational waves from the ringdown phase.

AB - The gravitational waves generated during supermassive black hole (SMBH) coalescence are prime candidates for detection by the satellite LISA. We use the extended Press-Schechter formalism combined with empirically motivated estimates for the SMBH-dark matter halo mass relation and SMBH occupation fraction to estimate the maximum coalescence rate for major SMBH mergers. Assuming efficient binary coalescence, and guided by the lowest nuclear black hole mass inferred in local galactic bulges and nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (≈105 M⊙), we predict approximately 15 detections per year at a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 5, in each of the inspiral and ringdown phases. Rare coalescences between SMBHs having masses in excess of 107 M⊙ will be more readily detected via gravitational waves from the ringdown phase.

KW - Black hole physics

KW - Cosmology: theory

KW - Gravitational waves

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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08987.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08987.x

M3 - Review article

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JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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ER -

Realistic event rates for detection of supermassive black hole coalescence by LISA

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