Exploration of features in the black hole mass spectrum inspired by non-parametric analyses of gravitational wave observations

Understand

Current gravitational-wave data reveal structures in the mass function of binary compact objects.

• Properly modelling and deciphering such structures is the ultimate goal of gravitational-wave population analysis: in this context, non-parametric models are a powerful tool to infer the distribution of black holes from gravitational waves without committing to any specific functional form.
• Here, we aim to quantitatively corroborate the findings of non-parametric methods with parametrised models incorporating the features found in such analyses.
• We propose two modifications of the currently favoured PowerLaw+Peak model, inspired by non-parametric studies, and use them to analyse the third Gravitational Wave Transient Catalogue.