The intermediate problem for binary black hole inspiral and the periodic standing wave approximation

TL;DR

This paper introduces the periodic standing wave approximation as an intermediate method for modeling binary black hole inspirals, bridging early post-Newtonian and final numerical relativity phases, with validation through nonlinear model problems.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel approximation method for binary black hole inspiral that effectively bridges different computational regimes and is validated with innovative numerical techniques.

Findings

Numerical solutions for a periodic rotating binary with standing wave fields.

Extraction of an approximation for inspiral with outgoing waves.

Validation of the approximation with nonlinear model problems.

Abstract

In calculations of the inspiral of binary black holes an intermediate approximation is needed that can bridge the post-Newtonian methods of the early inspiral and the numerical relativity computations of the final plunge. We describe here the periodic standing wave approximation: A numerical solution is found to the problem of a periodic rotating binary with helically symmetric standing wave fields, and from this solution an approximation is extracted for the physically relevant problem of inspiral with outgoing waves. The approximation underlying this approach has been recently confirmed with innovative numerical methods applied to nonlinear model problems.