Binary compact object coalescence rates

Specifically, we convolve hundreds of model realizations of elliptical- and spiral-galaxy population syntheses with a model for elliptical- and spiral-galaxy star formation history as a function of redshift.

Our results favor local merger rate densities of 4x10^-3^Mpc^-3^/Myr for binary black holes (BHs), 3x10^-2^Mpc^-3^/Myr for binary neutron stars (NSs), and 10^-2^Mpc^-3^/Myr for BH-NS binaries. Assuming a detection signal-to-noise ratio threshold of 8 for a single detector (in practice as part of a network, to reduce its noise), corresponding to radii Dbns of the effective volume inside of which a single LIGO detector could observe the inspiral of two 1.4M_{sun}_ NSs of 14Mpc and 197Mpc, for initial and advanced LIGO, we find event rates of any merger type of 2.9x10^-2^-0.46 and 25-400yr^-1^ (at 90% confidence level), respectively.