Time–frequency representations (Chatterji et al. 2004) of data containing GW190814, observed by LIGO Hanford (top), LIGO Livingston (middle), and Virgo (bottom). Times are shown relative to 2019 August 14, 21:10:39 UTC. Each detector's data are whitened by their respective noise amplitude spectral density and a Q-transform is calculated. The colorbar displays the normalized energy reported by the Q-transform at each frequency. These plots are not used in our detection procedure and are for visualization purposes only.
GW 190814 was agravitational wave (GW) signal observed by theLIGO andVirgo detectors on 14 August 2019 at 21:10:39 UTC,[2] and having a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 in the three-detector network.[1] The signal was associated with the astronomical super eventS190814bv, located 790 million light years away, in location area 18.5 deg2[n 1][1][3][4] towardsCetus orSculptor.[5][6][7][8][9][10] No optical counterpart was discovered despite an extensive search of the probability region.[11]
In June 2020, astronomers reported details of a compact binary merging, in the "mass gap" of cosmic collisions, of a first-ever 2.50–2.67 M☉ "mystery object", either an extremely heavyneutron star (that was theorized not to exist) or a too-lightblack hole, with a 22.2–24.3 M☉ black hole, that was detected as the gravitational wave GW190814.[1][12]
"We don't know if this object is the heaviest known neutron star or the lightest known black hole, but either way it breaks a record."
The mass of the lighter component is estimated to be 2.6 times the mass of the Sun (M☉ ≈1.9891×1030 kg), placing it in the aforementioned mass gap between neutron stars and black holes.[1][13][14][15][16][17]
Despite an intensive search, no optical counterpart to the gravitational wave was observed. The lack of emitted light could be consistent with either a situation in which a black hole entirely consumed a neutron star or the merger of two black holes.[14]
^Ackley, K.; et al. (5 February 2020). "Observational constraints on the optical and near-infrared emission from the neutron star-black hole binary merger S190814bv".arXiv:2002.01950v1 [astro-ph.SR].
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