U2-2016
Host: D. Gerosa
Observability of eccentricity in a population of merging compact binaries
Although most observed compact binary coalescences are expected to circularize before entering the sensitivity band of the ground-based gravitational wave detectors, dynamical interactions in dense star clusters can lead to a fraction of these binaries with non-negligible eccentricity at the time of detection. In this talk, I’ll quantify the observability of eccentricity in a population of merging compact binaries by identifying power in eccentric harmonics and compare our predictions with the claimed observations of eccentricity in gravitational wave observations. I’ll also briefly discuss the potential use of eccentric harmonics to develop computationally efficient searches for eccentric compact binaries.