Numerical hydrodynamics on light cones

TL;DR

This paper explores numerical relativistic hydrodynamics on light cones, demonstrating the feasibility of characteristic methods for evolving matter around black holes, which could enhance simulations of astrophysical systems like neutron star binaries.

Contribution

It introduces formalisms for numerical hydrodynamics compatible with null foliations, tested through one-dimensional simulations of matter accreting onto black holes.

Findings

Characteristic methods are promising for black hole spacetime evolution.

Feasibility shown with one-dimensional accretion simulations.

Potential applications to neutron star-black hole systems.

Abstract

Characteristic methods show excellent promise in the evolution of single black hole spacetimes. The effective coupling with matter fields may help the numerical exploration of important astrophysical systems such as neutron star black hole binaries. To this end we investigate formalisms for numerical relativistic hydrodynamics which can be adaptable to null (characteristic) foliations of the spacetime. The feasibility of the procedure is demonstrated with one-dimensional results on the evolution of self-gravitating matter accreting onto a dynamical black hole.