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scienceMonday, August 31, 2026 at 07:44 PM
Null GW Result in SN 2023ixf Rules Out Black Hole Central Engine Above GW170817B Scaling

Null GW Result in SN 2023ixf Rules Out Black Hole Central Engine Above GW170817B Scaling

A multimessenger search of SN 2023ixf yields no gravitational-wave signal, supporting neutron-star rather than black-hole formation for a progenitor below 20 solar masses. The result rests on a null detection scaled against GW170817B and optical mass estimates. Stronger constraints await next-generation detectors and better-timed follow-up.

The arXiv preprint applies a model-independent broadband search to LIGO Hanford-Livingston data around the Type II supernova discovered in M101. No chirp or noise-like signal below 1 kHz was recovered above the stated energy thresholds. Combined with progenitor mass estimates below ~20 M_⊙ from optical photometry and spectroscopy, the null result favors a neutron-star remnant over prompt black-hole collapse.

⚡ Prediction

LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O5: No GW signal above 10^{-4} M_⊙ c² in the next nearby Type II supernova within 5 Mpc by 2028.

Sources (2)

  • [1]
    Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.27468)
  • [2]
    Supporting Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.16398)