Gravitational-wave data analysis using binary black-hole waveforms

Abstract

While the inspiral and ring-down stages of the binary black-hole coalescence are well modelled by analytical approximation methods in general relativity, the recent progress in numerical relativity has enabled us to compute accurate waveforms from the merger stage also. This has an important impact on the search for gravitational waves from binary black holes. 'Complete' binary black-hole waveforms can now be produced by matching post-Newtonian waveforms with those computed by numerical relativity, which can be parametrized to produce analytical waveform templates. The 'complete' waveforms can also be used to estimate the efficiency of different search methods aiming to detect signals from black-hole coalescences. This paper summarizes some recent efforts in this direction.