Gravitational waves from spin-precessing binaries exhibit equatorial asymmetries absent in nonprecessing systems, leading to net linear momentum emission and contributing to the remnant’s recoil. This effect, recently incorporated into only a few waveform models, is crucial for accurate recoil predictions and improved parameter estimation. We present an upgrade to the seobnrv5phm model—${\mathrm{SEOBNRv}5\mathrm{PHM}}_{\mathrm{w}/\mathrm{asym}}$—which includes equatorial asymmetric contributions to the $\ell =m\le 4$ waveform modes in the co-precessing frame. The model combines post-Newtonian inputs with calibrated amplitude and phase corrections and a phenomenological merger-ringdown description, tuned against 1523 quasicircular spin-precessing numerical relativity waveforms and single-spin-precessing test-body plunging-geodesic waveforms. We find that ${\mathrm{SEOBNRv}5\mathrm{PHM}}_{\mathrm{w}/\mathrm{asym}}$ improves the agreement with numerical relativity waveforms across inclinations, with median unfaithfulness reduced by up to 50% compared to seobnrv5phm, and achieves 30%–60% lower unfaithfulness than imrphenomxpnr and 76%–80% lower than teobresums_dali. The model significantly improves the prediction of the recoil velocity, reducing the median relative error with numerical relativity from 70% to 1%. Bayesian inference on synthetic injections demonstrates improved recovery of spin orientations and mass parameters, and a reanalysis of GW200129 shows a threefold increase in the spin-precessing Bayes factor, highlighting the importance of these effects for interpreting spin-precessing events.

Close

PrevNext

Reuse & PermissionsView figure in article

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• Gravitational waves