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Authors: P. Ajith, M. Hannam, S. Husa, Y. Chen, B. Bruegmann, N. Dorband, D. Mueller, F. Ohme, D. Pollney, C. Reisswig, L. Santamaria, J. Seiler

Date: 15 Sep 2009

Abstract: We present the first analytical inspiral-merger-ringdown gravitational waveforms from black-hole (BH) binaries with non-precessing spins. By matching a post-Newtonian description of the inspiral to a set of numerical calculations performed in full general relativity, we obtain a waveform family with a conveniently small number of physical parameters. The physical content of these waveforms includes the "orbital hang-up" effect, when BHs are spinning rapidly along the direction of the orbital angular momentum. These waveforms will allow us to detect a larger parameter space of BH binary coalescence, to explore various scientific questions related to GW astronomy, and could dramatically improve the expected detection rates of GW detectors.

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