Work

Simulations of unequal-mass black hole binaries with spectral methods

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: This paper presents techniques and results for simulations of unequal-mass, nonspinning binary black holes with pseudospectral methods. Specifically, we develop an efficient root-finding procedure to ensure the black hole initial data have the desired masses and spins; we extend the dual coordinate frame method and eccentricity removal to asymmetric binaries. Furthermore, we describe techniques to simulate mergers of unequal-mass black holes. The second part of the paper presents numerical simulations of nonspinning binary black holes with mass ratios 2, 3, 4, and 6, covering between 15 and 22 orbits, merger and ringdown. We discuss the accuracy of these simulations, the evolution of the (initially zero) black hole spins, and the remnant black hole properties.

Source: Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.86.084033

Authors: Luisa T. Buchman, Harald P. Pfeiffer, Mark A. Scheel, Béla Szilágyi

Institutions: California Institute of Technology, University of Toronto, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics

Language: English

Topic: Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

OpenAlex ID: W2016999345

FWCI: 7.678

Cites: 105

Cited by: 121

Related to: 10