Gravitational-wave sources from mergers of binary black-holes catalyzed by fly-bys interactions in the field

Understand

Several scenarios were suggested for the origins of gravitational-wave (GW) sources from mergers of stellar binary black holes (BBHs).

• Here we propose a novel origin through catalyzed formation of GW-sources from ultra-wide binaries in the field.
• Such binaries experience perturbations from random stellar fly-bys which excite their eccentricities.
• Once a wide-binary is driven to a sufficiently small peri-center approach, GW-emission becomes significant, and the binary inspirals and merges.