The binary black hole spin distribution likely broadens with redshift

Kavli Affiliate: Salvatore Vitale

| First 5 Authors: Sylvia Biscoveanu, Thomas A. Callister, Carl-Johan Haster, Ken K. Y. Ng, Salvatore Vitale

| Summary:

The population-level distributions of the masses, spins, and redshifts of
binary black holes (BBHs) observed using gravitational waves can shed light on
how these systems form and evolve. Because of the complex astrophysical
processes shaping the inferred BBH population, models allowing for correlations
among these parameters will be necessary to fully characterize these sources.
We hierarchically analyze the BBH population detected by LIGO and Virgo with a
model allowing for correlations between the effective aligned spin and the
primary mass and redshift. We find that the width of the effective spin
distribution grows with redshift at 98.6% credibility. We determine this trend
to be robust under the application of several alternative models and
additionally verify that such a correlation is unlikely to be spuriously
introduced using a simulated population. We discuss the possibility that this
correlation could be due to a change in the natal black hole spin distribution
with redshift.

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