MPI for Gravitational PhysicsSep 10, 2025

✨ Exciting news to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of gravitational-wave astronomy 🎂

A recent gravitational-wave signal, known as GW250114, is the clearest one observed to date.

Its source and intrinsic signal strength are quite similar to those of the first-ever signal, GW150914, which was observed almost exactly 10 years ago.

However, improvements of the detectors, waveform models, and analysis methods over the past decade have resulted in a much clearer detection.

This allows scientists to conduct some of the most stringent tests of general relativity and confirm Hawking's black hole area theorem.

For the first time, researchers have identified or constrained at least three different gravitational-wave tones during the ringdown. This is the phase in which the remaining black hole settles into its final state right after the merger.

➡️ https://www.aei.mpg.de/1286736/ten-years-of-gravitational-wave-astronomy-and-the-clearest-signal-yet

#BlackHoles #GeneralRelativity #GW250114 #GW150914 #10YearsGW
#Astronomy #Astrophysics

Show threadMPI for Gravitational PhysicsSep 10, 2025

If you remember the audio representation of the first gravitational-wave signal GW150914, you will surely think that there must be the same thing for the even clearer signal GW250114.

You are, of course, correct, and you will find what you are looking for on the YouTube channel of @LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA:

🎞️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XmZ8-XQ9jU

#GW250114 #GW150914 #GravitationalWaves #10YearsGW

GW250114 – The Clearest of Chirps

YouTube
Show threadMPI for Gravitational PhysicsSep 11, 2025

Because the newly discovered gravitational-wave signal GW250114 was observed so clearly, the wave can be studied in great detail.

This allowed the researchers to carry out some of the most rigorous tests of general relativity.

In addition, they succeeded in identifying or constraining at least three gravitational-wave tones emitted during the ringdown, which occurs shortly after the merger.

This film by our researchers shows the gravitational waves during the merger and the subsequent ringdown, as well as the individual tones of the gravitational-wave “sound”.

Film: H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (@mpi_grav), K. Mitman (Cornell University)

#GW250114 #Ringdown #GravitationalWaves #10YearsGW

Show threadMPI for Gravitational Physics

A gravitational-wave signal from merging black holes that is as clear as GW250114 can be used to do other exciting things.

From the gravitational waves emitted before the black holes merge one can measure their individual masses and how fast they rotate around their respective axes (their “spins”).

The mass and spin of the remaining black hole after the merger can be determined from the clearly measured individual gravitational-wave tones (https://academiccloud.social/@mpi_grav/115183786012350803).

According to general relativity the surface area of a black hole can be calculated from its mass and spin alone.

This allows a before-and-after comparison to be made and a prediction by Stephen Hawking to be tested. According to his “area law”, the surface area of black holes cannot decrease.

And lo and behold: the surface area of the black hole after the merger is indeed greater than the sum of the two individual surfaces before the merger.

#GW250114 #10YearsGW #GravitationalWaves #Astrophysics

Sep 11, 2025 at 7:07amWeb
Show threadMPI for Gravitational PhysicsSep 11, 2025

If you want to read all the fun science in its full glory, this way please:

📄 “GW250114: Testing Hawking’s Area Law and the Kerr Nature of Black Holes”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 111403, https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/kw5g-d732 (Open Access)

📄 “Black Hole Spectroscopy and Tests of General Relativity with GW250114”, arXiv:2509.08099, https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.08099

#GW250114 #10YearsGW #GravitationalWaves #Astrophysics #BlackHoles #GeneralRelativity