Challenge of Characterising High-Mass Compact Mergers - The Case of GW190521

Explore the challenges of characterizing high-mass compact mergers in gravitational wave astronomy through this 37-minute conference talk by Juan Calderon-Bustillo from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Delve into the complexities of interpreting signals from high-mass compact binary coalescences, focusing on the controversial case of GW190521. Examine the impact of prior choices in Bayesian inference for these mergers, and consider alternative interpretations of the GW190521 signal, including eccentric black-hole mergers, high-mass ratio mergers, and exotic compact objects like boson stars. Gain insights into the limitations of analyzing merger and ringdown portions of gravitational wave signals when inspiral information is scarce.