A new method to compute quasi-local spin and other invariants on marginally trapped surfaces

We accurately compute the scalar 2-curvature, the Weyl scalars, associated quasi-local spin, mass and higher multipole moments on marginally trapped surfaces in numerical 3+1 simulations. To determine the quasi-local quantities we introduce a new method which requires a set of invariant surface integrals, allowing for surface grids of a few hundred points only. The new technique circumvents solving the Killing equation and is also an alternative to approximate Killing vector fields. We apply the method to a perturbed non-axisymmetric black hole ringing down to Kerr and compare the quasi-local spin with other methods that use Killing vector fields, coordinate vector fields, quasinormal ringing and properties of the Kerr metric on the surface. Interesting is the agreement with the spin of approximate Killing vector fields during the phase of perturbed axisymmetry. Additionally, we introduce a new coordinate transformation, adapting spherical coordinates to any two points on the sphere like the two minima of the scalar 2-curvature on axisymmetric trapped surfaces.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

The slicing dependence of non-spherically symmetric quasi-local horizons in Vaidya Spacetimes

It is well known that quasi-local black hole horizons depend on the choice of a time coordinate in a spacetime. This has implications for notions such as the surface of the black hole and also on quasi-local physical quantities such as horizon measures of mass and angular momentum. In this paper, we compare different horizons on non-spherically symmetric slicings of Vaidya spacetimes. The spacetimes we investigate include both accreting and evaporating black holes. For some simple choices of the Vaidya mass function function corresponding to collapse of a hollow shell, we compare the area for the numerically found axisymmetric trapping horizons with the area of the spherically symmetric trapping horizon and event horizon. We find that as expected, both the location and area are dependent on the choice of foliation. However, the area variation is not large, of order $0.035\%$ for a slowly evolving horizon with $\dot{m}=0.02$. We also calculate analytically the difference in area between the spherically symmetric quasi-local horizon and event horizon for a slowly accreting black hole. We find that the difference can be many orders of magnitude larger than the Planck area for sufficiently large black holes.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, corrected minor typo

Hyperboloidal slices for the wave equation of Kerr-Schild metrics and numerical applications

We present new results from two open source codes, using finite differencing and pseudo-spectral methods for the wave equations in (3+1) dimensions. We use a hyperboloidal transformation which allows direct access to null infinity and simplifies the control over characteristic speeds on Kerr-Schild backgrounds. We show that this method is ideal for attaching hyperboloidal slices or for adapting the numerical resolution in certain spacetime regions. As an example application, we study late-time Kerr tails of sub-dominant modes and obtain new insight into the splitting of decay rates. The involved conformal wave equation is freed of formally singular terms whose numerical evaluation might be problematically close to future null infinity.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure

Isometric embeddings of 2-spheres by embedding flow for applications in numerical relativity

We present a numerical method for solving Weyl's embedding problem which consists of finding a global isometric embedding of a positively curved and positive-definite spherical 2-metric into the Euclidean three space. The method is based on a construction introduced by Weingarten and was used in Nirenberg's proof of Weyl's conjecture. The target embedding results as the endpoint of an embedding flow in R^3 beginning at the unit sphere's embedding. We employ spectral methods to handle functions on the surface and to solve various (non)-linear elliptic PDEs. Possible applications in 3+1 numerical relativity range from quasi-local mass and momentum measures to coarse-graining in inhomogeneous cosmological models.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figure