{
  "abstract": "We detail the population properties of binary neutron star, neutron star–black hole binary, and binary black hole mergers using 158 events from the cumulative Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog 4.0. The black hole primary mass distribution consists of a power-law-like continuum that steepens above 35 M ⊙ with overdensities at 10 M ⊙ and 35 M ⊙ . Binary black holes with primary masses near 10 M ⊙ are more likely to have less massive secondaries, with a mass ratio distribution peaking at q = 0.7 1 − 0.11 + 0.12 , potentially a signature of stable mass transfer during binary evolution. Black hole spins are inferred to be nonextremal, with 90% of black holes having χ < 0.6, and preferentially aligned with binary orbits, implying many merging binaries form in isolation. However, we find that a significant fraction, 0.23–0.41, of binaries have negative effective inspiral spins, suggesting many could be formed dynamically in gas-free environments. We find evidence for correlation between effective inspiral spin and mass ratio, driven either by variation in the mode of the distribution or the width. The binary black hole merger rate increases with redshift, consistent with the cosmic star formation density. While there is no evidence of the mass spectrum evolving with redshift, the distribution of effective inspiral spin is found to broaden as redshift increases out to z ≈ 1. We infer the local merger rates (at z = 0) to be 8.8–250 Gpc −3 yr −1 for binary neutron stars, 9.3–86 Gpc −3 yr −1 for neutron star–black hole binaries, and 13–26 Gpc −3 yr −1 for binary black holes; all values reflect central 90% credible intervals.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)",
    "LIGO Hanford Observatory",
    "INFN",
    "Università di Salerno",
    "University of Warwick",
    "Monash University",
    "The Pennsylvania State University",
    "Leibniz Universität Hannover",
    "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee",
    "California Institute of Technology",
    "Louisiana State University",
    "Tata Institute of Fundamental Research",
    "Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics",
    "Université Catholique de Louvain",
    "Queen Mary University of London",
    "Sejong University",
    "Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais",
    "University of the West of Scotland",
    "Università di Roma Tor Vergata",
    "Universiteit Antwerpen",
    "Advanced Technology Center",
    "Gravitational Wave Science Project",
    "Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena",
    "INFN Sezione di Torino",
    "University of Glasgow",
    "University of Western Australia",
    "Université Savoie Mont Blanc",
    "Università di Napoli “Federico II”",
    "Cardiff University",
    "Australian National University",
    "Massachusetts Institute of Technology",
    "Maastricht University",
    "Nikhef",
    "Aix Marseille Univ",
    "Université Paris-Saclay",
    "The University of Tokyo",
    "University of Tokyo",
    "Universitat de Barcelona (UB)",
    "The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology",
    "Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI)"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 100,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Adrian Abac",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4786-2698"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "I. Abouelfettouh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "F. Acernese",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3103-3473"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "K. Ackley",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8648-0767"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Christian Adamcewicz",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5525-6255"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "S. Adhicary",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-2101-5428"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        0
      ],
      "name": "D. Adhikari"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "N. Adhikari",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4559-8427"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "R. X. Adhikari",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5731-5076"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "V. K. Adkins"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Samsuzzaman Afroz",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-4459-2981"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12,
        13
      ],
      "name": "D. Agarwal",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8735-5554"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        14
      ],
      "name": "M. Agathos",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9072-1121"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        15
      ],
      "name": "Maryam Aghaei Abchouyeh",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1518-1946"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        16
      ],
      "name": "Odylio D. Aguiar",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2139-4390"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        17
      ],
      "name": "S. Ahmadzadeh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        18
      ],
      "name": "L. Aiello",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2771-8816"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        19
      ],
      "name": "A. Ain",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4534-4619"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "P. Ajith",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7519-2439"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        20,
        21
      ],
      "name": "Tomotada Akutsu",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0733-7530"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        22,
        23
      ],
      "name": "Simone Albanesi",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7345-4415"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        24
      ],
      "name": "R. A. Alfaidi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6108-4979"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        25
      ],
      "name": "Ammar Al-Jodah",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4536-1240"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        26
      ],
      "name": "C. Alléné"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        27
      ],
      "name": "A. Allocca",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5288-1351"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        28
      ],
      "name": "S. Al-Shammari"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        29
      ],
      "name": "P. A. Altin",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8193-5825"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        30
      ],
      "name": "S. Álvarez-López",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-8040-4936"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        28
      ],
      "name": "O. Amarasinghe"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        31,
        32
      ],
      "name": "A. Amato",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9557-651X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        33
      ],
      "name": "Claude Amra",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4618-5931"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "A. Ananyeva"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "S. B. Anderson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2219-9383"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Warren G. Anderson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0482-5942"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        34
      ],
      "name": "M. Andia",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3675-9126"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        35,
        36
      ],
      "name": "M. Ando"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        37
      ],
      "name": "T Andrade"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        38
      ],
      "name": "Marc Andrés-Carcasona",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8738-1672"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        39,
        7,
        0
      ],
      "name": "T. Andrić",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9277-9773"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Anglin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Stefano Ansoldi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5613-7693"
    },
    {
      "name": "Javier Mauricio Antelis",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3377-0813"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Antier",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7686-3334"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        35
      ],
      "name": "M. Aoumi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "E. Z. Appavuravther"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "S. Appert"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. K. Apple",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-4490-5804"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Koji Arai",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8916-8915"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        35
      ],
      "name": "A. Araya",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6884-2875"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "M. C. Araya",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6018-6447"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        39
      ],
      "name": "Manuel Arca Sedda",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3987-0519"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. S. Areeda",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0266-7936"
    },
    {
      "name": "L Argianas"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "N. Aritomi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "F. Armato",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8856-8877"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sharon Armstrong",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-4285-2360"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        34
      ],
      "name": "N. Arnaud",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6589-8673"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Arogeti",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5124-3350"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Scott Aronson",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7080-8177"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. G. Arun",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6960-8538"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bd5zfgqywzcfn.bib",
  "cited_by": 294,
  "doi": "10.3847/2041-8213/ae771e",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "bd5zfgqywzcfn",
  "issns": [
    "2041-8205",
    "2041-8213"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae771e",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7168158497",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-03",
  "publisher": "IOP Publishing",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bd5zfgqywzcfn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:18Z",
      "native_id": "W7168158497",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae771e"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research",
      "subfield": "high-energy-astrophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "GWTC-4.0: Population Properties of Merging Compact Binaries",
  "title_text": "GWTC-4.0: Population Properties of Merging Compact Binaries",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bd5zfgqywzcfn",
  "venue": "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",
  "versions": []
}