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Analysis and Modeling of Gravitational Waves from Binary Black Hole Mergers

AJAS · 2026 Physics and Astronomy (inferred)

Maya Baireddy · New Jersey Academy of Science

Overview

The first gravitational wave signal detected and interpreted by humans was observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) on September 14, 2015 (NASA, 2015). Since then, avenues for research have opened up surrounding these signals and their properties, providing insight into the dynamics of binary systems that produce these waves. This study focuses on the gravitational waves produced by binary black hole (BBH) mergers, specifically examining how variations in the mass ratio between the holes in BBH systems affect frequency, amplitude, duration, and trajectory during a merger. To investigate this, numerical simulation data of BBH systems with mass ratios ranging from 1.15 to 2.35 were analyzed, with a focus on the phases of a merger event, including the inspiral, merger, and ringdown phases. Amplitude and frequency over time, trajectory, and phase duration data were collected for each event and analyzed to determine how mass asymmetry influenced the aforementioned factors during mergers. The analysis concluded that BBH systems with lower mass ratios exhibited a gradual frequency increase, higher peak amplitude, and a longer inspiral phase. As the mass ratio increased, frequency evolution became more extreme, peak amplitude decreased, and the inspiral phase shortened. Higher mass ratios produced more asymmetrical graphs, with the more massive black hole remaining more stationary and forming tighter spirals, while the less massive black hole exhibited more erratic motion and followed a broader spiral path toward the center. This study shows that mass ratio significantly affects gravitational wave characteristics, aligning with the initial hypothesis.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2026 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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