GW190521 as a dynamical capture of two nonspinning black holes

Understand

Gravitational waves from $\sim 90$ black holes binary systems have currently been detected by the LIGO and Virgo experiments, and their progenitors' properties inferred.

• This allowed the scientific community to draw conclusions on the formation channels of black holes in binaries, informing population models and -- at times -- defying our understanding of black hole astrophysics.
• The most challenging event detected so far is the short duration gravitational-wave transient GW190521.
• We analyze this signal under the hypothesis that it was generated by the merger of two nonspinning black holes on hyperbolic orbits.