Understanding possible electromagnetic counterparts to loud gravitational wave events: Binary black hole effects on electromagnetic fields

TL;DR

This paper investigates how binary black hole mergers influence surrounding electromagnetic fields, revealing time-dependent variations that could aid in detecting electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of electromagnetic field behavior during black hole mergers, highlighting potential observable signatures for electromagnetic counterparts.

Findings

Electromagnetic fields are significantly affected during the merger process.

Binary dynamics induce variability in electromagnetic emissions.

Electromagnetic field enhancement occurs during late-merge and merger epochs.

Abstract

In addition to producing loud gravitational waves (GW), the dynamics of a binary black hole system could induce emission of electromagnetic (EM) radiation by affecting the behavior of plasmas and electromagnetic fields in their vicinity. We here study how the electromagnetic fields are affected by a pair of orbiting black holes through the merger. In particular, we show how the binary's dynamics induce a variability in possible electromagnetically induced emissions as well as an enhancement of electromagnetic fields during the late-merge and merger epochs. These time dependent features will likely leave their imprint in processes generating detectable emissions and can be exploited in the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves.