The first spectral numerical simulations of 16 orbits, merger, and ringdown of an equal-mass non-spinning binary black hole system are presented. Gravitational waveforms from these simulations have accumulated numerical phase errors through ringdown of ~0.1 radian when measured from the beginning of the simulation, and ~0.02 radian when waveforms are time and phase shifted to agree at the peak amplitude. The waveform seen by an observer at infinity is determined from waveforms computed at finite radii by an extrapolation process accurate to ~0.01 radian in phase. The phase difference between this waveform at infinity and the waveform measured at a finite radius of r=100M is about half a radian. The ratio of final mass to initial mass is M_f/M = 0.95162 +- 0.00002, and the final black hole spin is S_f/M_f^2=0.68646 +- 0.00004.
@article{arxiv.0810.1767,
title = {High-accuracy waveforms for binary black hole inspiral, merger, and ringdown},
author = {Mark A. Scheel and Michael Boyle and Tony Chu and Lawrence E. Kidder and Keith D. Matthews and Harald P. Pfeiffer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0810.1767},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
15 pages, 11 figures; New figure added, text edited to improve clarity, waveform made available