My Research

Parameter Inference for Eccentric Black Hole Binaries

Recent studies have shown that orbital eccentricity may indicate dynamical assembly as a formation mechanism for binary black holes. Eccentricity leaves a distinct signature in gravitational wave signals and may be measured if the binary remains eccentric when it enters the LIGO band. Though eccentricity has not yet been confidently detected, with the improved sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA, the possibility of detecting eccentric binaries is becoming more likely. However, it is crucial to assess the accuracy of current search pipelines in recovering eccentricity from gravitational wave signals. I am working to investigate the ability of parameter estimation pipeline RIFT to recover eccentricity in the non-spinning and aligned-spin cases for low-mass binary black holes.

See my recent paper at arXiv:2402.08039.