Astrophysics with populations of binary black holes

Since the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015 by the STFC-funded Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), gravitational-wave astronomy has revolutionised our understanding of black hole binaries. Over the coming years, the population of gravitational wave observations will explode, with hundreds of observations of binary black holes. Using this rapidly growing gravitational-wave catalogue, it will be possible to infer the population properties, such as the distribution of black hole masses and spins across a range of redshifts, while cross-correlation with galaxy catalogues can enable inference of the Hubble constant. This project will aim to construct and apply a Bayesian hierarchical inference scheme to binary black hole observations, building upon both the current techniques and Glasgow's leading international expertise in gravitational-wave analysis. Using these cutting-edge population results, it will be possible to place unprecedented constraints of the currently uncertain physics of binary stellar evolution as well as the evolution of the Universe. The final goal of this project will be to compare our gravitational-wave observations to the latest binary population synthesis models to complete a comprehensive, multidimensional inference of the parameters which describe the physics of binary evolution in an evolving Universe, and hence reveal the mysteries of binary black hole formation across cosmic time.