GW150914 peak frequency: a novel consistency test of strong-field General Relativity

Understand

We introduce a novel test of General Relativity in the strong-field regime of a binary black hole coalescence.

• Combining information coming from Numerical Relativity simulations of coalescing black hole binaries with a Bayesian reconstruction of the gravitational wave signal detected in LIGO-Virgo interferometric data, allows one to test theoretical predictions for the instantaneous gravitational wave frequency measured at the peak of the gravitational wave signal amplitude.
• We present the construction of such a test and apply it on the first gravitational wave event detected by the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations, GW150914.
• The $p$-value obtained is $p=0.48$, to be contrasted with an expected value of $p=0.5$, so that no signs of violations from General Relativity were detected.