Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Reanalysis of binary black hole gravitational wave events for orbital eccentricity signatures

Maria de Lluc Planas1, Antoni Ramos-Buades1, Cecilio García-Quirós2, Héctor Estellés3, Sascha Husa4,1, and Maria Haney5

Phys. Rev. D 112, 123004 – Published 1 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/cv75-y8dr

Abstract

We present a reanalysis of 17 gravitational wave events detected with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in their first three observing runs, using the new IMRPhenomTEHM model—a phenomenological time-domain multipolar waveform model for aligned-spin black hole binaries in elliptical orbits with two eccentric parameters: eccentricity and mean anomaly. We also analyze all events with the underlying quasicircular model IMRPhenomTHM to study the impact of including eccentricity and compare the eccentric and quasicircular binary hypotheses. The high computational efficiency of IMRPhenomTEHM enables us to explore the impact of two different eccentricity priors—uniform and log-uniform—as well as different sampler and data settings. We find evidence for eccentricity in two publicly available LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA events, GW200129 and GW200208_22, with Bayes factors favoring the eccentric hypothesis over the quasicircular aligned-spin scenario: log10BE/QC[1.300.15+0.15,5.140.15+0.15] and log10BE/QC[0.490.08+0.08,1.140.08+0.08], respectively. Additionally, the two high-mass events GW190701 and GW190929 exhibit potential eccentric features. For all four events, we conduct further analyses to study the impact of different sampler settings. We also investigate waveform systematics by exploring the support for spin precession using IMRPhenomTPHM and NRSur7dq4, offering new insights into the formation channels of detected binaries. Our results highlight the importance of considering eccentric waveform models in future observing runs, alongside precessing models, as they can help mitigate potential biases in parameter estimation studies. This will be particularly relevant with the expected increase in the diversity of the binary black hole population with new detectors.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (160)

  1. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Classical Quantum Gravity 32, 074001 (2015).
  2. Virgo Collaboration, Classical Quantum Gravity 32, 024001 (2014).
  3. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Phys. Rev. X 9, 031040 (2019).
  4. R. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Phys. Rev. X 11, 021053 (2021).
  5. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration, Phys. Rev. D 109, 022001 (2024).
  6. R. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, and KAGRA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. X 13, 041039 (2023).
  7. A. H. Nitz, C. D. Capano, S. Kumar, Y.-F. Wang, S. Kastha, M. Schäfer, R. Dhurkunde, and M. Cabero, Astrophys. J. 922, 76 (2021).
  8. A. H. Nitz, S. Kumar, Y.-F. Wang, S. Kastha, S. Wu, M. Schäfer, R. Dhurkunde, and C. D. Capano, Astrophys. J. 946, 59 (2023).
  9. T. Venumadhav, B. Zackay, J. Roulet, L. Dai, and M. Zaldarriaga, Phys. Rev. D 101, 083030 (2020).
  10. S. Olsen, T. Venumadhav, J. Mushkin, J. Roulet, B. Zackay, and M. Zaldarriaga, Phys. Rev. D 106, 043009 (2022).
  11. D. Wadekar, J. Roulet, T. Venumadhav, A. K. Mehta, B. Zackay, J. Mushkin, S. Olsen, and M. Zaldarriaga, arXiv:2312.06631.
  12. A. K. Mehta, S. Olsen, D. Wadekar, J. Roulet, T. Venumadhav, J. Mushkin, B. Zackay, and M. Zaldarriaga, Phys. Rev. D 111, 024049 (2025).
  13. LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 161101 (2017).
  14. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Astrophys. J. Lett. 892, L3 (2020).
  15. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration, Astrophys. J. Lett. 915, L5 (2021).
  16. I. Mandel and A. Farmer, Phys. Rep. 955, 1 (2022).
  17. H. A. Bethe and G. E. Brown, Astrophys. J. 506, 780 (1998).
  18. K. Belczynski, T. Bulik, and B. Rudak, Astrophys. J. Lett. 608, L45 (2004).
  19. H. V. Zeipel, Astron. Nachr. 183, 345 (1909).
  20. Y. Kozai, Astron. J. 67, 591 (1962).
  21. M. L. Lidov, Planet. Space Sci. 9, 719 (1962).
  22. M. Mapelli, Front. Astron. Space Sci. 7, 38 (2020).
  23. P. C. Peters, Phys. Rev. 136, B1224 (1964).
  24. A. Bohé et al., Phys. Rev. D 95, 044028 (2017).
  25. R. Cotesta, A. Buonanno, A. Bohé, A. Taracchini, I. Hinder, and S. Ossokine, Phys. Rev. D 98, 084028 (2018).
  26. S. Ossokine et al., Phys. Rev. D 102, 044055 (2020).
  27. L. Pompili et al., Phys. Rev. D 108, 124035 (2023).
  28. A. Ramos-Buades, A. Buonanno, H. Estellés, M. Khalil, D. P. Mihaylov, S. Ossokine, L. Pompili, and M. Shiferaw, Phys. Rev. D 108, 124037 (2023).
  29. A. Gamboa et al., Phys. Rev. D 112, 044038 (2025).
  30. X. Liu, Z. Cao, and L. Shao, Phys. Rev. D 101, 044049 (2020).
  31. Z. Cao and W.-B. Han, Phys. Rev. D 96, 044028 (2017).
  32. S. Akcay, R. Gamba, and S. Bernuzzi, Phys. Rev. D 103, 024014 (2021).
  33. A. Nagar and P. Rettegno, Phys. Rev. D 99, 021501 (2019).
  34. A. Nagar et al., Phys. Rev. D 98, 104052 (2018).
  35. A. NagarG. Riemenschneider, G. Pratten, P. Rettegno, and F. Messina, Phys. Rev. D 102, 024077 (2020).
  36. A. Nagar, R. Gamba, P. Rettegno, V. Fantini, and S. Bernuzzi, Phys. Rev. D 110, 084001 (2024).
  37. A. Nagar, D. Chiaramello, R. Gamba, S. Albanesi, S. Bernuzzi, V. Fantini, M. Panzeri, and P. Rettegno, Phys. Rev. D 111, 064050 (2025).
  38. R. Gamba, D. Chiaramello, and S. Neogi, Phys. Rev. D 110, 024031 (2024).
  39. J. Blackman, S. E. Field, M. A. Scheel, C. R. Galley, D. A. Hemberger, P. Schmidt, and R. Smith, Phys. Rev. D 95, 104023 (2017).
  40. V. Varma, S. E. Field, M. A. Scheel, J. Blackman, L. E. Kidder, and H. P. Pfeiffer, Phys. Rev. D 99, 064045 (2019).
  41. V. Varma, S. E. Field, M. A. Scheel, J. Blackman, D. Gerosa, L. C. Stein, L. E. Kidder, and H. P. Pfeiffer, Phys. Rev. Res. 1, 033015 (2019).
  42. S. Husa, S. Khan, M. Hannam, M. Pürrer, F. Ohme, X. Jiménez-Forteza, and A. Bohé, Phys. Rev. D 93, 044006 (2016).
  43. S. Khan, S. Husa, M. Hannam, F. Ohme, M. Pürrer, X. Jiménez-Forteza, and A. Bohé, Phys. Rev. D 93, 044007 (2016).
  44. L. London, S. Khan, E. Fauchon-Jones, C. García, M. Hannam, S. Husa, X. Jiménez-Forteza, C. Kalaghatgi, F. Ohme, and F. Pannarale, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 161102 (2018).
  45. G. Pratten, S. Husa, C. García-Quirós, M. Colleoni, A. Ramos-Buades, H. Estellés, and R. Jaume, Phys. Rev. D 102, 064001 (2020).
  46. C. García-Quirós, M. Colleoni, S. Husa, H. Estellés, G. Pratten, A. Ramos-Buades, M. Mateu-Lucena, and R. Jaume, Phys. Rev. D 102, 064002 (2020).
  47. H. Estellés, M. Colleoni, C. García-Quirós, S. Husa, D. Keitel, M. Mateu-Lucena, M. d. L. Planas, and A. Ramos-Buades, Phys. Rev. D 105, 084040 (2022).
  48. H. Estelles, S. Husa, M. Colleoni, D. Keitel, M. Mateu-Lucena, C. Garcia-Quiros, A. Ramos-Buades, and A. Borchers, Phys. Rev. D 105, 084039 (2022).
  49. H. Estelles, A. Ramos-Buades, S. Husa, C. Garcia-Quiros, M. Colleoni, L. Haegel, and R. Jaume, Phys. Rev. D 103, 124060 (2021).
  50. A. V. Tutukov and L. R. YungelSon, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 260, 675 (1993).
  51. N. Ivanova et al., Astron. Astrophys. Rev. 21, 59 (2013).
  52. M. Mapelli and N. Giacobbo, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 479, 4391 (2018).
  53. T. Fragos, J. J. Andrews, E. Ramirez-Ruiz, G. Meynet, V. Kalogera, R. E. Taam, and A. Zezas, Astrophys. J. Lett. 883, L45 (2019).
  54. F. S. Broekgaarden et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 516, 5737 (2022).
  55. S. E. de Mink and I. Mandel, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 460, 3545 (2016).
  56. I. Mandel and S. E. de Mink, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 458, 2634 (2016).
  57. P. Marchant, N. Langer, P. Podsiadlowski, T. M. Tauris, and T. J. Moriya, Astron. Astrophys. 588, A50 (2016).
  58. E. P. J. van den Heuvel, S. F. Portegies Zwart, and S. E. de Mink, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 471, 4256 (2017).
  59. Y. Shao and X.-D. Li, Astrophys. J. 930, 26 (2022).
  60. H. Tagawa, T. R. Saitoh, and B. Kocsis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 261101 (2018).
  61. K. Kremer, C. S. Ye, N. Z. Rui, N. C. Weatherford, S. Chatterjee, G. Fragione, C. L. Rodriguez, M. Spera, and F. A. Rasio, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 247, 48 (2020).
  62. F. Santoliquido, M. Mapelli, Y. Bouffanais, N. Giacobbo, U. N. Di Carlo, S. Rastello, M. C. Artale, and A. Ballone, Astrophys. J. 898, 152 (2020).
  63. B. McKernan et al., Astrophys. J. 866, 66 (2018).
  64. M. Maggiore et al., J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2020) 050.
  65. A. Abac et al., arXiv:2503.12263.
  66. D. Reitze et al., Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 51, 035 (2019), https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019BAAS...51g..35R.
  67. P. A. Seoane et al. (LISA Collaboration), Living Rev. Relativity 26, 2 (2023).
  68. M. Bošković, M. Koschnitzke, and R. A. Porto, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 121401 (2024).
  69. M. Zevin, J. Samsing, C. Rodriguez, C.-J. Haster, and E. Ramirez-Ruiz, Astrophys. J. 871, 91 (2019).
  70. N. C. Stone, A. H. W. Küpper, and J. P. Ostriker, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 467, 4180 (2017).
  71. L. Wen, Astrophys. J. 598, 419 (2003).
  72. J. H. VanLandingham, M. C. Miller, D. P. Hamilton, and D. C. Richardson, Astrophys. J. 828, 77 (2016).
  73. I. Romero-Shaw, P. Lasky, and E. Thrane, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 490, 5210 (2019).
  74. E. Payne, C. Talbot, and E. Thrane, Phys. Rev. D 100, 123017 (2019).
  75. B. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Astrophys. J. 883, 149 (2019).
  76. A. Nitz, A. Lenon, and D. Brown, Astrophys. J. 890, 1 (2020).
  77. I. Romero-Shaw, P. D. Lasky, E. Thrane, and J. C. Bustillo, Astrophys. J. Lett. 903, L5 (2020).
  78. V. Gayathri, J. Healy, J. Lange, B. O’Brien, M. Szczepanczyk, I. Bartos, M. Campanelli, S. Klimenko, C. O. Lousto, and R. O’Shaughnessy, Nat. Astron. 6, 344 (2022).
  79. M. Favata, C. Kim, K. G. Arun, J. Kim, and H. W. Lee, Phys. Rev. D 105, 023003 (2022).
  80. E. O’Shea and P. Kumar, Phys. Rev. D 108, 104018 (2023).
  81. I. Romero-Shaw, P. Lasky, and E. Thrane, Astrophys. J. Lett. 921, L31 (2021).
  82. A. Ramos-Buades, A. Buonanno, and J. Gair, Phys. Rev. D 108, 124063 (2023).
  83. N. Gupte et al., arXiv:2404.14286.
  84. M. d. L. Planas, A. Ramos-Buades, C. Garcia-Quiros, H. Estelles, S. Husa, and M. Haney, arXiv:2503.13062.
  85. T. A. Clarke, I. M. Romero-Shaw, P. D. Lasky, and E. Thrane, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 517, 3778 (2022).
  86. LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 061102 (2016).
  87. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 241102 (2016).
  88. LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 101102 (2020).
  89. R. Gamba, M. Breschi, G. Carullo, S. Albanesi, P. Rettegno, S. Bernuzzi, and A. Nagar, Nat. Astron. 7, 11 (2023).
  90. A. Gamboa, M. Khalil, and A. Buonanno, Phys. Rev. D 112, 044037 (2025).
  91. M. Hannam et al., Nature (London) 610, 652 (2022).
  92. E. Racine, Phys. Rev. D 78, 044021 (2008).
  93. P. Ajith et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 241101 (2011).
  94. L. Santamaria et al., Phys. Rev. D 82, 064016 (2010).
  95. P. Schmidt, F. Ohme, and M. Hannam, Phys. Rev. D 91, 024043 (2015).
  96. M. A. Shaikh, V. Varma, H. P. Pfeiffer, A. Ramos-Buades, and M. van de Meent, Phys. Rev. D 108, 104007 (2023).
  97. T. Islam and T. Venumadhav, arXiv:2502.02739.
  98. M. Boschini, N. Loutrel, D. Gerosa, and G. Fumagalli, Phys. Rev. D 111, 024008 (2025).
  99. A. Ramos-Buades, M. van de Meent, H. P. Pfeiffer, H. R. Rüter, M. A. Scheel, M. Boyle, and L. E. Kidder, Phys. Rev. D 106, 124040 (2022).
  100. P. Schmidt, I. W. Harry, and H. P. Pfeiffer, arXiv:1703.01076.
  101. A. Buonanno and T. Damour, Phys. Rev. D 59, 084006 (1999).
  102. A. Buonanno and T. Damour, Phys. Rev. D 62, 064015 (2000).
  103. T. Islam, S. E. Field, S. A. Hughes, G. Khanna, V. Varma, M. Giesler, M. A. Scheel, L. E. Kidder, and H. P. Pfeiffer, Phys. Rev. D 106, 104025 (2022).
  104. K. Rink, R. Bachhar, T. Islam, N. E. M. Rifat, K. Gonzalez-Quesada, S. E. Field, G. Khanna, S. A. Hughes, and V. Varma, Phys. Rev. D 110, 124069 (2024).
  105. M. Colleoni, M. Mateu-Lucena, H. Estellés, C. García-Quirós, D. Keitel, G. Pratten, A. Ramos-Buades, and S. Husa, Phys. Rev. D 103, 024029 (2021).
  106. M. Mateu-Lucena, S. Husa, M. Colleoni, H. Estellés, C. García-Quirós, D. Keitel, M. d. L. Planas, and A. Ramos-Buades, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 517, 2403 (2022).
  107. H. Estellés et al., Astrophys. J. 924, 79 (2022).
  108. E. Hamilton, L. London, J. E. Thompson, E. Fauchon-Jones, M. Hannam, C. Kalaghatgi, S. Khan, F. Pannarale, and A. Vano-Vinuales, Phys. Rev. D 104, 124027 (2021).
  109. J. E. Thompson, E. Hamilton, L. London, S. Ghosh, P. Kolitsidou, C. Hoy, and M. Hannam, Phys. Rev. D 109, 063012 (2024).
  110. A. Borchers, F. Ohme, J. Mielke, and S. Ghosh, Phys. Rev. D 110, 024037 (2024).
  111. A. Ramos-Buades, S. Husa, G. Pratten, H. Estellés, C. García-Quirós, M. Mateu-Lucena, M. Colleoni, and R. Jaume, Phys. Rev. D 101, 083015 (2020).
  112. I. Hinder, L. E. Kidder, and H. P. Pfeiffer, Phys. Rev. D 98, 044015 (2018).
  113. E. A. Huerta et al., Phys. Rev. D 97, 024031 (2018).
  114. A. Placidi, S. Albanesi, A. Nagar, M. Orselli, S. Bernuzzi, and G. Grignani, Phys. Rev. D 105, 104030 (2022).
  115. M. Khalil, A. Buonanno, J. Steinhoff, and J. Vines, Phys. Rev. D 104, 024046 (2021).
  116. S. Albanesi, A. Nagar, and S. Bernuzzi, Phys. Rev. D 104, 024067 (2021).
  117. A. Nagar and P. Rettegno, Phys. Rev. D 104, 104004 (2021).
  118. A. Nagar, A. Bonino, and P. Rettegno, Phys. Rev. D 103, 104021 (2021).
  119. X. Liu, Z. Cao, and Z.-H. Zhu, Classical Quantum Gravity 39, 035009 (2022).
  120. D. Chiaramello and A. Nagar, Phys. Rev. D 101, 101501 (2020).
  121. T. Hinderer and S. Babak, Phys. Rev. D 96, 104048 (2017).
  122. A. Ramos-Buades, A. Buonanno, M. Khalil, and S. Ossokine, Phys. Rev. D 105, 044035 (2022).
  123. G. Carullo, S. Albanesi, A. Nagar, R. Gamba, S. Bernuzzi, T. Andrade, and J. Trenado, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 101401 (2024).
  124. X. Liu, Z. Cao, and L. Shao, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 32, 2350015 (2023).
  125. T. Islam, V. Varma, J. Lodman, S. E. Field, G. Khanna, M. A. Scheel, H. P. Pfeiffer, D. Gerosa, and L. E. Kidder, Phys. Rev. D 103, 064022 (2021).
  126. T. Islam, G. Khanna, and S. E. Field, Phys. Rev. D 111, 124023 (2025).
  127. T. Islam and T. Venumadhav, Phys. Rev. D 111, L081503 (2025).
  128. T. Islam, arXiv:2403.15506.
  129. Q. Henry and M. Khalil, Phys. Rev. D 108, 104016 (2023).
  130. M. Ebersold, Y. Boetzel, G. Faye, C. K. Mishra, B. R. Iyer, and P. Jetzer, Phys. Rev. D 100, 084043 (2019).
  131. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, SoftwareX 13, 100658 (2021).
  132. The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 267, 29 (2023).
  133. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 131103 (2016).
  134. LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration, Phys. Rev. D 102, 043015 (2020).
  135. LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration, Astrophys. J. Lett. 896, L44 (2020).
  136. I. M. Romero-Shaw, P. D. Lasky, and E. Thrane, Astrophys. J. 940, 171 (2022).
  137. E. Payne, S. Hourihane, J. Golomb, R. Udall, D. Davis, and K. Chatziioannou, Phys. Rev. D 106, 104017 (2022).
  138. D. Davis, T. B. Littenberg, I. M. Romero-Shaw, M. Millhouse, J. McIver, F. Di Renzo, and G. Ashton, Classical Quantum Gravity 39, 245013 (2022).
  139. R. Macas, A. Lundgren, and G. Ashton, Phys. Rev. D 109, 062006 (2024).
  140. A.-K. Malz, G. Ashton, and N. Colombo, Phys. Rev. D 111, 084078 (2025).
  141. D. Davis, T. J. Massinger, A. P. Lundgren, J. C. Driggers, A. L. Urban, and L. K. Nuttall, Classical Quantum Gravity 36, 055011 (2019).
  142. N. J. Cornish and T. B. Littenberg, Classical Quantum Gravity 32, 135012 (2015).
  143. E. Maggio, H. O. Silva, A. Buonanno, and A. Ghosh, Phys. Rev. D 108, 024043 (2023).
  144. P. J. Green, Biometrika 82, 711 (1995).
  145. G. Ashton et al., Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 241, 27 (2019).
  146. I. M. Romero-Shaw et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 499, 3295 (2020).
  147. J. S. Speagle, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 493, 3132 (2020).
  148. H. Jeffreys, The Theory of Probability 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, New York, 1961).
  149. J. Veitch et al., Phys. Rev. D 91, 042003 (2015).
  150. M. d. L. Planas, S. Husa, A. Ramos-Buades, and J. Valencia, arXiv:2506.01760.
  151. V. Varma, S. Biscoveanu, T. Islam, F. H. Shaik, C.-J. Haster, M. Isi, W. M. Farr, S. E. Field, and S. Vitale, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 191102 (2022).
  152. J. C. Bustillo, N. Sanchis-Gual, A. Torres-Forné, and J. A. Font, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 201101 (2021).
  153. I. M. Romero-Shaw, D. Gerosa, and N. Loutrel, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 519, 5352 (2023).
  154. K. Paul, A. Maurya, Q. Henry, K. Sharma, P. Satheesh, Divyajyoti, P. Kumar, and C. K. Mishra, Phys. Rev. D 111, 084074 (2025).
  155. H. L. Iglesias et al., Astrophys. J. 972, 65 (2024).
  156. R. J. E. Smith, G. Ashton, A. Vajpeyi, and C. Talbot, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 498, 4492 (2020).
  157. M. d. L. Planas, A. Ramos-Buades, C. García-Quirós, H. Estellés, S. Husa, and M. Haney, Data release for the article, Zenodo, 2025, https://zenodo.org/records/15259941.
  158. S. Albanesi, R. Gamba, S. Bernuzzi, J. Fontbuté, A. Gonzalez, and A. Nagar, arXiv:2503.14580.
  159. G. Morras, G. Pratten, and P. Schmidt, arXiv:2503.15393.
  160. R. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific Collaboration, KAGRA Collaboration, and VIRGO Collaboration), Astrophys. J. Lett. 915, L5 (2021).

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation