Binary black hole coalescence in the large-mass-ratio limit: The hyperboloidal layer method and waveforms at null infinity

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.84.084026· OSTI ID:21611513

Bernuzzi, Sebastiano ^[1]; Nagar, Alessandro ^[2]; Zenginoglu, Anil ^[3]

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1. Theoretical Physics Institute, University of Jena, 07743 Jena (Germany)
2. Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, 91440 Bures-sur-Yvette (France)
3. Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California (United States)

We compute and analyze the gravitational waveform emitted to future null infinity by a system of two black holes in the large-mass-ratio limit. We consider the transition from the quasiadiabatic inspiral to plunge, merger, and ringdown. The relative dynamics is driven by a leading order in the mass ratio, 5PN-resummed, effective-one-body (EOB), analytic-radiation reaction. To compute the waveforms, we solve the Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli equations in the time-domain on a spacelike foliation, which coincides with the standard Schwarzschild foliation in the region including the motion of the small black hole, and is globally hyperboloidal, allowing us to include future null infinity in the computational domain by compactification. This method is called the hyperboloidal layer method, and is discussed here for the first time in a study of the gravitational radiation emitted by black hole binaries. We consider binaries characterized by five mass ratios, {nu}=10{sup -2,-3,-4,-5,-6}, that are primary targets of space-based or third-generation gravitational wave detectors. We show significative phase differences between finite-radius and null-infinity waveforms. We test, in our context, the reliability of the extrapolation procedure routinely applied to numerical relativity waveforms. We present an updated calculation of the final and maximum gravitational recoil imparted to the merger remnant by the gravitational wave emission, v{sub kick}{sup end}/(c{nu}{sup 2})=0.04474{+-}0.00007 and v{sub kick}{sup max}/(c{nu}{sup 2})=0.05248{+-}0.00008. As a self-consistency test of the method, we show an excellent fractional agreement (even during the plunge) between the 5PN EOB-resummed mechanical angular momentum loss and the gravitational wave angular momentum flux computed at null infinity. New results concerning the radiation emitted from unstable circular orbits are also presented. The high accuracy waveforms computed here could be considered for the construction of template banks or for calibrating analytic models such as the effective-one-body model.

• OSTI ID: 21611513
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 84, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.84.084026; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BLACK HOLES
COMPACTIFICATION
EMISSION
EXTRAPOLATION
GRAVITATIONAL RADIATION
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
LAYERS
MASS
RELIABILITY
SIMULATION
WAVE FORMS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS