Related papers: The Status of Black-Hole Binary Merger Simulations…
The strong version of the nonviolent nonlocality proposal of Giddings predicts "strong but soft" quantum metric fluctuations near black hole horizons in an attempt to resolve the information paradox. To study observable signatures of this…
Several improvements in numerical methods and gauge choice are presented that make it possible now to perform simulations of the merger and ringdown phases of "generic" binary black-hole evolutions using the pseudo-spectral evolution code…
Methods are presented to define and compute source multipoles of dynamical horizons in numerical relativity codes, extending previous work from the isolated and dynamical horizon formalisms in a manner that allows for the consideration of…
Gravitational waves from merging binary black holes present exciting opportunities for understanding fundamental aspects of gravity, including nonlinearities in the strong-field regime. One challenge in studying and interpreting the…
As a follow-up study of our previous work, numerical-relativity simulations for seconds-long black hole-neutron star mergers are performed for a variety of setups. Irrespective of the initial and symmetry conditions, we find qualitatively…
We obtain empirical formulae for the final remnant black hole mass, spin, and recoil velocity from merging black-hole binaries with arbitrary mass ratios and spins. Our formulae are based on the mass ratio and spin dependence of the…
Black hole physics currently lacks a fully coherent understanding of the black hole mass (density), entropy, and interior (non-)singularity. These concepts are related to the black hole radius, area (of the horizon), and volume (within the…
In a recent paper arXiv:0709.0299, we introduced a spin expansion that provides a simple yet powerful way to understand aspects of binary black hole (BBH) merger. This approach relies on the symmetry properties of initial and final…
We present general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of merging equal-mass, spinning black holes embedded in an equatorial thin slab of magnetized gas. We evolve black holes either non-spinning, with spins aligned to the orbital…
Recently, it has been shown that with the inclusion of overtones, the post-merger gravitational waveform at infinity of a binary black hole system is well-modelled using pure linear theory. However, given that a binary black hole merger is…
This paper studies the formation and evolution of binary supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in rotating galactic nuclei, focusing on the role of stellar dynamics. We present the first N-body simulations that follow the evolution of the SMBHs…
Recent progress in numerical relativity now allows computation of the binary black hole merger, whereas post-Newtonian and perturbative techniques can be used to model the inspiral and ringdown phases. So far, most gravitational-wave…
We present an overview of recent numerical advances in the theoretical characterization of massive binary black hole (MBBH) mergers in astrophysical environments. These systems are among the loudest sources of gravitational waves (GWs) in…
The final state of a binary black hole merger is predicted with high precision by numerical relativity, but could there be a simple thermodynamic principle within general relativity that governs the selection of the remnant? Using…
We analyse the formation and evolution of the event horizon of a black hole binary merger when the black holes are charged. We find that the presence of charge influences the properties of the merger and can be useful for investigating the…
We present the first fully relativistic longterm numerical evolutions of three equal-mass black holes in a system consisting of a third black hole in a close orbit about a black-hole binary. We find that these close-three-black-hole systems…
Coalescing massive black hole binaries are produced by the mergers of galaxies. The final stages of the black hole coalescence produce strong gravitational radiation that can be detected by the space-borne LISA. In cases where the black…
We explicitly demonstrate that current numerical relativity techniques are able to accurately evolve black hole binaries with mass ratios of the order of 1000:1. This proof of principle is relevant for future third generation (3G)…
Utilizing the tools of tendex and vortex, we study the highly dynamic plunge and merger phases of several $\pi$-symmetric binary black hole coalescences. In particular, we observe a decline of the strength of the current quadrupole moment…
The recent detection of the binary black hole merger GW150914 demonstrates the existence of black holes more massive than previously observed in X-ray binaries in our Galaxy. This article explores different scenarios of black hole formation…