Understanding possible electromagnetic counterparts to loud gravitational wave events: Binary black hole effects on electromagnetic fields

Journal Article · Thu Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.084007· OSTI ID:21409593

Palenzuela, Carlos ^[1]; Lehner, Luis ^[2]; Yoshida, Shin ^[3]

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1. Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H8 (Canada)
2. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5 (Canada)
3. Department of Earth Science and Astronomy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902 (Japan)

In addition to producing loud gravitational waves, the dynamics of a binary black hole system could induce emission of electromagnetic radiation by affecting the behavior of plasmas and electromagnetic fields in their vicinity. We study how the electromagnetic fields are affected by a pair of orbiting black holes through the merger. In particular, we show how the binary's dynamics induce a variability in possible electromagnetically induced emissions as well as an enhancement of electromagnetic fields during the late-merge and merger epochs. These time dependent features will likely leave their imprint in processes generating detectable emissions and can be exploited in the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves.

• OSTI ID: 21409593
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 81; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
DETECTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EMISSION
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
TIME DEPENDENCE