Post-Newtonian Initial Data with Waves: Progress in Evolution

TL;DR

This paper advances binary black-hole initial data by incorporating post-Newtonian waves, moving beyond conformal flatness, and explores its evolution effects on junk radiation and gravitational wave extraction.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for generating initial data with post-Newtonian waves and demonstrates progress in evolving this data with modern numerical relativity techniques.

Findings

Reduced junk radiation in evolutions.

Improved physical gravitational wave extraction.

Enhanced understanding of wave effects on initial data.

Abstract

In Kelly et al. [Phys. Rev. D, 76:024008, 2007], we presented new binary black-hole initial data adapted to puncture evolutions in numerical relativity. This data satisfies the constraint equations to 2.5 post-Newtonian order, and contains a transverse-traceless "wavy" metric contribution, violating the standard assumption of conformal flatness. We report on progress in evolving this data with a modern moving-puncture implementation of the BSSN equations in several numerical codes. We discuss the effect of the new metric terms on junk radiation and continuity of physical radiation extracted.