5,051 research outputs found
Decoding mode-mixing in black-hole merger ringdown
Optimal extraction of information from gravitational-wave observations of
binary black-hole coalescences requires detailed knowledge of the waveforms.
Current approaches for representing waveform information are based on
spin-weighted spherical harmonic decomposition. Higher-order harmonic modes
carrying a few percent of the total power output near merger can supply
information critical to determining intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the
binary. One obstacle to constructing a full multi-mode template of merger
waveforms is the apparently complicated behavior of some of these modes;
instead of settling down to a simple quasinormal frequency with decaying
amplitude, some modes show periodic bumps characteristic of
mode-mixing. We analyze the strongest of these modes -- the anomalous
harmonic mode -- measured in a set of binary black-hole merger waveform
simulations, and show that to leading order, they are due to a mismatch between
the spherical harmonic basis used for extraction in 3D numerical relativity
simulations, and the spheroidal harmonics adapted to the perturbation theory of
Kerr black holes. Other causes of mode-mixing arising from gauge ambiguities
and physical properties of the quasinormal ringdown modes are also considered
and found to be small for the waveforms studied here.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables; new version has improved Figs. 1-3,
consistent labelling of simulations between Tables I & II,
additional/corrected references, and extra hyphen
Improved Time-Domain Accuracy Standards for Model Gravitational Waveforms
Model gravitational waveforms must be accurate enough to be useful for
detection of signals and measurement of their parameters, so appropriate
accuracy standards are needed. Yet these standards should not be unnecessarily
restrictive, making them impractical for the numerical and analytical modelers
to meet. The work of Lindblom, Owen, and Brown [Phys. Rev. D 78, 124020 (2008)]
is extended by deriving new waveform accuracy standards which are significantly
less restrictive while still ensuring the quality needed for gravitational-wave
data analysis. These new standards are formulated as bounds on certain norms of
the time-domain waveform errors, which makes it possible to enforce them in
situations where frequency-domain errors may be difficult or impossible to
estimate reliably. These standards are less restrictive by about a factor of 20
than the previously published time-domain standards for detection, and up to a
factor of 60 for measurement. These new standards should therefore be much
easier to use effectively.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Testing Gravitational Physics with Space-based Gravitational-wave Observations
Gravitational wave observations provide exceptional and unique opportunities for precision tests of gravitational physics, as predicted by general relativity (GR). Space-based gravitational wave measurements, with high signal-to-noise ratios and large numbers of observed events may provide the best-suited gravitational-wave observations for testing GR with unprecedented precision. These observations will be especially useful in testing the properties of gravitational waves and strong-field aspects of the theory which are less relevant in other observations. We review the proposed GR test based on observations of massive black hole mergers, extreme mass ratio inspirals, and galactic binary systems
Comparison of Atom Interferometers and Light Interferometers as Space-Based Gravitational Wave Detectors
We consider a class of proposed gravitational wave detectors based on multiple atomic interferometers separated by large baselines and referenced by common laser systems. We compute the sensitivity limits of these detectors due to intrinsic phase noise of the light sources, non-inertial motion of the light sources, and atomic shot noise and compare them to sensitivity limits for traditional light interferometers. We find that atom interferometers and light interferometers are limited in a nearly identical way by intrinsic phase noise and that both require similar mitigation strategies (e.g. multiple arm instruments) to reach interesting sensitivities. The sensitivity limit from motion of the light sources is slightly different and favors the atom interferometers in the low-frequency limit, although the limit in both cases is severe
Numerical Relativity for Space-Based Gravitational Wave Astronomy
In the next decade, gravitational wave instruments in space may provide high-precision measurements of gravitational-wave signals from strong sources, such as black holes. Currently variations on the original Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission concepts are under study in the hope of reducing costs. Even the observations of a reduced instrument may place strong demands on numerical relativity capabilities. Possible advances in the coming years may fuel a new generation of codes ready to confront these challenges
The two-phase approximation for black hole collisions: Is it robust?
Recently Abrahams and Cook devised a method of estimating the total radiated
energy resulting from collisions of distant black holes by applying Newtonian
evolution to the holes up to the point where a common apparent horizon forms
around the two black holes and subsequently applying Schwarzschild perturbation
techniques . Despite the crudeness of their method, their results for the case
of head-on collisions were surprisingly accurate. Here we take advantage of the
simple radiated energy formula devised in the close-slow approximation for
black hole collisions to test how strongly the Abrahams-Cook result depends on
the choice of moment when the method of evolution switches over from Newtonian
to general relativistic evolution. We find that their result is robust, not
depending strongly on this choice.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit
Reducing reflections from mesh refinement interfaces in numerical relativity
Full interpretation of data from gravitational wave observations will require
accurate numerical simulations of source systems, particularly binary black
hole mergers. A leading approach to improving accuracy in numerical relativity
simulations of black hole systems is through fixed or adaptive mesh refinement
techniques. We describe a manifestation of numerical interface truncation error
which appears as slowly converging, artificial reflections from refinement
boundaries in a broad class of mesh refinement implementations, potentially
compromising the effectiveness of mesh refinement techniques for some numerical
relativity applications if left untreated. We elucidate this numerical effect
by presenting a model problem which exhibits the phenomenon, but which is
simple enough that its numerical error can be understood analytically. Our
analysis shows that the effect is caused by variations in finite differencing
error generated across low and high resolution regions, and that its slow
convergence is caused by the presence of dramatic speed differences among
propagation modes typical of 3+1 relativity. Lastly, we resolve the problem,
presenting a class of finite differencing stencil modifications, termed
mesh-adapted differencing (MAD), which eliminate this pathology in both our
model problem and in numerical relativity examples.Comment: 7 page
Promise and Progress of Millihertz Gravitational-Wave Astronomy
Extending the new field of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy into the millihertz band with a space-based GW observatory is a high-priority objective of international astronomy community. This paper summarizes the astrophysical promise and the technological groundwork for such an observatory, concretely focusing on the prospects for the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission concept
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