Black Hole Data via a Kerr-Schild Approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel Kerr-Schild based method for generating initial data for multiple black hole simulations, simplifying the constraint equations and demonstrating its effectiveness through analytical solutions in perturbed Schwarzschild geometries.

Contribution

The paper presents a new Kerr-Schild approach for initial black hole data that simplifies constraint equations and is validated via analytical solutions.

Findings

Constraint equations become hierarchical and easier to solve.

Method successfully applied to perturbed Schwarzschild geometry.

Potential for improved numerical simulations of black hole mergers.

Abstract

We present a new approach for setting initial Cauchy data for multiple black hole spacetimes. The method is based upon adopting an initially Kerr-Schild form of the metric. In the case of non-spinning holes, the constraint equations take a simple hierarchical form which is amenable to direct numerical integration. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by solving analytically the problem of initial data in a perturbed Schwarzschild geometry.