English

Second-order gravitational self-force -- a quick summary

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2013-05-09 v1

Abstract

In order to extract physical parameters from the waveform of an extreme-mass-ratio binary, one requires a second-order--accurate description of the motion of the smaller of the two objects in the binary. Using a method of matched asymptotic expansions, I derive the second-order equation of motion of a small, nearly spherical and non-rotating compact object in an arbitrary vacuum spacetime. I find that the motion is geodesic in a certain locally defined effective metric satisfying the vacuum Einstein equation through second order, and I outline a method of numerically calculating this effective metric.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1305.1789,
  title  = {Second-order gravitational self-force -- a quick summary},
  author = {Adam Pound},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1305.1789},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

3 pages, contribution to the proceedings of the 13th Marcel Grossman Meeting, summarizes and discusses material in 1201.5089 and 1206.6538

R2 v1 2026-06-22T00:13:24.541Z