Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis is conceptually divided into two parts. The first and main part concerns \nthe generation of gravitational radiation that is emitted from merging black-hole \nbinary systems using Numerical Relativity methods. The second part presents \nthe methodology of the search for gravitational-wave bursts that are emitted in \ncore-collapse Supernovae. \nMy approach to Numerical Relativity is to utilise the late-time gravitational \nradiation of merging binary black holes to extract key astrophysical parameters \nfrom such systems via standard parameter estimation techniques. I begin with \nan introductory chapter that outlines the standard theories of stationary and \nperturbed black holes. In addition, up-to-date techniques in performing binary \nblack hole simulations, the current and near-future status of the global network \nof gravitational-wave detectors, as well as the most promising gravitational-wave \nsources. I conclude the chapter with elements on parameter estimation techniques, \nsuch as Bayesian analysis and the Fisher information matrix. In Chapter 2, I discuss \ndetection issues and parameter estimation results from the late-time radiation \nof colliding non-spinning black holes in quasi-circular orbits, and propose a practical \ntest of General Relativity, as well as of the nature of the merged compact \nobject. Chapter 3 involves similar parameter extraction calculations, but involves \na more realistic approach, whereby the effect of the various angular parameters \non parameter estimation is considered, placing an emphasis on the actual science \nbenefit from measuring the gravitational radiation from perturbed intermediate \nand supermassive black holes. In Chapter 4 we present the results of an extensive \nNumerical Relativity study of merging spinning black hole binaries and argue that \nthe mass ratio and individual spins of a non-precessing progenitor binary can be \nmeasured solely by observing the late-time radiation. \nChapter 5 presents the methodology in carrying out searches for gravitationalwave \nbursts (GWB) from core-collapse Supernovae with a dedicated for GWB \nsearches pipeline (X-Pipeline) and presents the sensitivity performance of XPipeline \nin detecting GWBs associated with certain Supernova candidates during \nthe two most recent LIGO-Virgo-GEO Science Runs.
Author: I. Kamaretsos
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2002791887