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  • Open Access

Quasinormal Mode Content of Binary Black Hole Ringdowns

Richard Dyer1,* and Christopher J. Moore1,2,3,†

  • *Contact author: richard.dyer@ast.cam.ac.uk
  • †Contact author: christopher.moore@ast.cam.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 191403 – Published 13 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ptmd-rz1t

Abstract

We present a fully Bayesian, data-driven framework for identifying quasinormal modes in high-accuracy Cauchy characteristic evolution gravitational waveforms. Applying this to a public catalog, we identify quasinormal mode overtones, retrograde modes, and nonlinear modes up to cubic order in the ringdown. Multiple high-order overtones are found near the merger, confirming their physical significance for modeling the ringdown. The ringdown mode content is tabulated across a wide range of start times for all available simulations, providing a systematic reference for theoretical and observational studies. We also search for late-time power-law tails, which are, as expected, absent from the Cauchy characteristic evolution waveforms.

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Quasinormal modes from numerical relativity with Bayesian inference

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 104031 (2026)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 191403– Published 13 May, 2026
  • Received 15 October 2025
  • Accepted 26 March 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

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