Week 9: Further Refining Parameters

Building on last week’s work, I refined the automated classification algorithm that assigns events to groups based on their posterior uncertainties and robustness behavior, improving the internal consistency of the analysis. I restructured the combined-results framework to compare multiple event subsets rather than rely on one number, clarifying which events are strong enough to support the final constraint by distinguishing among the historical core sample, the stricter automatically validated sample, and the expanded provisional sample. I also implemented a posterior-sample/qnm Kerr-baseline update that uses public remnant mass and spin estimates to refine the Kerr reference values, thereby strengthening the baseline for comparing measured ringdown parameters to the Kerr prediction and preparing the analysis for a larger catalog-assisted sample.

I also re-examined which types of black-hole structure are still allowed by comparing the observational constraints with the expected deviation scales from various quantum- and modified-gravity models after the results. I have nearly finished completing the qnm baseline update for the entire event catalog and documenting which catalog-only events still require direct ringdown fits. I still need to finish those direct fits and recompute the combined bounds using the updated classification.