Detecting relativistic black hole collisions near a massive black hole

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for detecting relativistic black hole collisions near a massive black hole, emphasizing the rarity of such events and the capabilities of gravitational wave detectors to observe them.

Contribution

It investigates the conditions under which relativistic black hole collisions can occur near massive black holes and assesses detection prospects with current and future gravitational wave observatories.

Findings

Relativistic black hole collisions are possible in triple systems near massive black holes.

Current gravitational wave detectors may have limited sensitivity to such rare events.

Future detectors could improve detection prospects for relativistic black hole collisions.

Abstract

Relativistic black hole collisions are one of the most dramatic astrophysical events that can be imagined. They could provide the ideal condition for searching for possible new physics beyond general relativity. However, such events are presumably rare and difficult to occur under normal conditions. Black holes in a triple system can be accelerated to the relativistic limit and may harbor the chance for a relativistic collision. In this paper, we study the relativistic black hole collisions in a massive black hole background and the capabilities of several current and future gravitational wave detectors in detecting such signals.