Gravitational-wave astronomy requires population-informed parameter estimation
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866918452269154304 |
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| author | Mould, Matthew Tenorio, Rodrigo Gerosa, Davide |
| author_facet | Mould, Matthew Tenorio, Rodrigo Gerosa, Davide |
| contents | Gravitational-wave events are interpreted in terms of Bayesian posteriors for their source properties inferred under unphysical reference priors. Though these parameter estimates are important intermediate data products for downstream analyses, across the catalog they provide generically biased sourced properties and are therefore unsuitable for direct astrophysical interpretation. Hierarchical parameter estimation is the solution, where joint analysis of the entire catalog of observations not only reduces statistical uncertainties but actually informs the correct prior. Population-informed source properties from there derived are naturally suited to astrophysical interpretation and catalog statistics, such as identification of exceptional events from previous and ongoing observing runs. Using the latest LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data, we thus demonstrate that population inference is not optional to interpret gravitational-wave observations. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_15885 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Gravitational-wave astronomy requires population-informed parameter estimation Mould, Matthew Tenorio, Rodrigo Gerosa, Davide General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability Gravitational-wave events are interpreted in terms of Bayesian posteriors for their source properties inferred under unphysical reference priors. Though these parameter estimates are important intermediate data products for downstream analyses, across the catalog they provide generically biased sourced properties and are therefore unsuitable for direct astrophysical interpretation. Hierarchical parameter estimation is the solution, where joint analysis of the entire catalog of observations not only reduces statistical uncertainties but actually informs the correct prior. Population-informed source properties from there derived are naturally suited to astrophysical interpretation and catalog statistics, such as identification of exceptional events from previous and ongoing observing runs. Using the latest LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data, we thus demonstrate that population inference is not optional to interpret gravitational-wave observations. |
| title | Gravitational-wave astronomy requires population-informed parameter estimation |
| topic | General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15885 |