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

Date: 18 May 2010

Abstract: We present a new phenomenological gravitational waveform model for he inspiral and coalescence of non-precessing spinning black hole binaries. Our approach is based on a frequency domain matching of post-Newtonian inspiral waveforms with numerical relativity based binary black hole coalescence waveforms. We quantify the various possible sources of systematic errors that arise in matching post-Newtonian and numerical relativity waveforms, and we use a matching criteria based on minimizing these errors; we find that the dominant source of errors are those in the post-Newtonian waveforms near the merger. An analytical formula for the dominant mode of the gravitational radiation of non-precessing black hole binaries is presented that captures the phenomenology of the hybrid waveforms. Its implementation in the current searches for gravitational waves should allow cross-checks of other inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform families and improve the reach of gravitational wave searches.

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