Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: We describe and study an instantaneous definition of eccentricity to be applied at the initial moment of full numerical simulations of binary black holes. The method consists of evaluating the eccentricity at the moment of maximum separation of the binary. We estimate it using up to third post-Newtonian (3PN) order and compare these estimates with the results of evolving (conservative) 3PN equations of motion for a full orbit and compute the eccentricity ${e}_{r}$ from the radial turning points, finding excellent agreement. We then include terms with spins up to 3.5PN and next compare this initial data eccentricity estimate method with the turning points estimates of the eccentricity ${e}_{r}^{NR}$ during full numerical evolutions of spinning binary black holes, characterized invariantly by a fractional factor $0\ensuremath{\le}f\ensuremath{\le}1$ of the initial tangential momenta to a quasicircular one. We find that our initial instantaneous definition is a particularly useful and accurate tool to predict and characterize even highly eccentric full numerical simulations.
Institutions: Rochester Institute of Technology, Ryukoku University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Construction of gravitational wave templates for precise observation of black holes in galactic nuclei, G192509961, G3226045097, G3243075157, G3984162807, MRI: Acquisition of an Advanced Computer Cluster for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, MRI: Acquisition of an Advanced Computing Cluster for General Relativistic Astrophysics, SCREMS: Next Generation Parallel Computing Infrastructure for Numerical Relativity, MRI: Acquisition of a Computing Cluster for Gravitational-Wave and Multimessenger Astrophysics in the Era of LIGO Detections, CDI-Type II: Collaborative Research: Computing Supermassive Black Hole Mergers in Astrophysics, Fully Relativistic Studies of Black Hole Binaries with Applications to Gravitational Wave Observations, G8157362042, Testing general relativity by gravitational wave data analysis of black hole quasinormal modes, G8482235742, MRI: Acquisition of a Computing System for Large Simulation Data Sets in Multimessenger Astrophysics
OpenAlex ID: W4283716653