A specific combination of the masses of two orbiting objects that determines the rate at which gravitational waves increase in frequency and amplitude as the objects spiral inward. It's the most precisely measurable parameter in gravitational wave detections.
Coined in gravitational wave physics from 'chirp' (describing the characteristic frequency sweep of the signal, like a bird's chirp) and 'mass' (Latin 'massa'). The term emerged in the 1990s as theoretical predictions for LIGO detections were developed.
The 'chirp' in chirp mass comes from the sound gravitational wave data makes when converted to audio—it literally sounds like a bird chirping as two massive objects spiral into each other faster and faster! This single parameter tells us more about merging black holes than we can learn about most stars.
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