Related papers: Compact binary coalescences: The subtle issue of a…
Asymmetric emission of gravitational waves during a compact binary coalescence results in the loss of linear momentum and a corresponding "kick" or recoil on the binary's center of mass. This leads to a direction-dependent Doppler shift of…
Gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences provide a unique laboratory to test properties of compact objects. As alternatives to the ordinary black holes in general relativity, various exotic compact objects have been proposed.…
Massive black hole binaries are naturally predicted in the context of the hierarchical model of structure formation. The binaries that manage to lose most of their angular momentum can coalesce to form a single remnant. In the last stages…
Recent studies of accretion onto supermassive black hole binaries suggest that much, perhaps most, of the matter eventually accretes onto one hole or the other. If so, then for binaries whose inspiral from ~1 pc to 0.001 - 0.01 pc is driven…
We study the dynamics of merging compact binaries near a rotating supermassive black hole (SMBH) in a hierarchical triple configuration. We include various general relativistic effects that couple the inner orbit, the outer orbit and the…
We present the first search for gravitational waves from sub-solar mass compact-binary mergers which allows for non-negligible orbital eccentricity. Sub-solar mass black holes are a signature of primordial origin black holes, which may be a…
Searches for gravitational waves from compact binaries focus mostly on quasi-circular motion, with the rationale that wave emission circularizes the orbit. Here, we study the generality of this result, when astrophysical environments (e.g.,…
Gravitational waves from the coalescence of binary black holes carry away linear momentum, causing center of mass recoil. This "radiation rocket" effect has important implications for systems with escape speeds of order the recoil velocity.…
The accretion flow in the disk dominated state of black hole binaries has peak temperature and luminosity which vary together in such a way as to indicate an approximately constant emitting area. The association of this with the last stable…
Gravitational waveforms for compact binary coalescences (CBCs) have been invaluable for detections by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration. They are obtained by a combination of semi-analytical models and numerical simulations. So far systematic…
The recent detections of gravitational waves from binary systems of black holes are in remarkable agreement with the predictions of General Relativity. In this pedagogical mini-review, I will go through the physics of the different phases…
Binary black-hole systems with spins aligned with the orbital angular momentum are of special interest, as studies indicate that this configuration is preferred in nature. If the spins of the two bodies differ, there can be a prominent…
The detection of a subsolar object in a compact binary merger is regarded as one of the most compelling signatures of a population of primordial black holes (PBHs). We critically examine whether such systems can be distinguished from…
A number of theoretical proposals have been made for horizonless compact objects with masses and spins similar to those of black holes. While gravitational wave signatures from their mergers can resemble those of black holes, features like…
Knowledge of the spin of the black hole resulting from the merger of a generic black-hole binary is of great importance for studying the cosmological evolution of supermassive black holes. Several attempts have been made to model the spin…
We consider the interaction between a binary system (e.g. two supermassive black holes or two stars) and an external accretion disc with misaligned angular momentum. This situation occurs in galaxy merger events involving supermassive black…
The asymptotic symmetry of an isolated gravitating system, or the Bondi-Metzner-Sachs (BMS) group, contains an infinite-dimensional subgroup of supertranslations. Despite decades of study, the difficulties with the "supertranslation…
Compact binary coalescences are the most promising sources of gravitational waves (GWs) for ground based detectors. Binary systems containing one or two spinning black holes are particularly interesting due to spin-orbit (and eventual…
Black holes are the simplest macroscopic objects, and provide unique tests of General Relativity. They have been compared to the Hydrogen atom in quantum mechanics. Here, we establish a few facts about the simplest systems bound by gravity:…
We show that under certain astrophysical conditions a binary system consisting of two compact objects can be stabilized against indefinite shrinking of orbits due to the emission of gravitational radiation. In this case, the lighter binary…