Spinning compact binary inspiral: Independent variables and dynamically preserved spin configurations

We establish the set of independent variables suitable to monitor the complicated evolution of the spinning compact binary during the inspiral. Our approach is valid up to the second post-Newtonian order, including leading order spin-orbit, spin-spin and mass quadrupol-mass monopole effects, for generic (noncircular, nonspherical) orbits. Then we analyze the conservative spin dynamics in terms of these variables. We prove that the only binary black hole configuration allowing for spin precessions with equal angular velocities about a common intantaneous axis roughly aligned to the normal of the osculating orbit, is the equal mass and parallel (aligned or antialigned) spin configuration. This analytic result puts limitations on what particular configurations can be selected in numerical investigations of compact binary evolutions, even in those including only the last orbits of the inspiral.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, subsection IV.A improved, published versio

Spinning compact binary dynamics and chameleon orbits

We analyse the conservative evolution of spinning compact binaries to second post-Newtonian (2PN) order accuracy, with leading order spin-orbit, spin-spin and mass quadrupole-monopole contributions included. As a main result we derive a closed system of first order differential equations in a compact form, for a set of dimensionless variables encompassing both orbital elements and spin angles. These evolutions are constrained by conservation laws holding at 2PN order. As required by the generic theory of constrained dynamical systems we perform a consistency check and prove that the constraints are preserved by the evolution. We apply the formalism to show the existence of chameleon orbits, whose local, orbital parameters evolve from elliptic (in the Newtonian sense) near pericenter, towards hyperbolic at large distances. This behavior is consistent with the picture that General Relativity predicts stronger gravity at short distances than Newtonian theory does.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. D, 19 pages, 3 figure panel

Spin-dominated waveforms for unequal mass compact binaries

We derive spin-dominated waveforms (SDW) for binary systems composed of spinning black holes with unequal masses (less than 1:30). Such systems could be formed by an astrophysical black hole with a smaller black hole or a neutron star companion; and typically arise for supermassive black hole encounters. SDW characterize the last stages of the inspiral, when the larger spin dominates over the orbital angular momentum (while the spin of the smaller companion can be neglected). They emerge as a double expansion in the post-Newtonian parameter $\varepsilon$ and the ratio $\xi$ of the orbital angular momentum and dominant spin. The SDW amplitudes are presented to ($\varepsilon^{3/2},\xi$) orders, while the phase of the gravitational waves to ($\varepsilon^{2},\xi$) orders (omitting the highest order mixed terms). To this accuracy the amplitude includes the (leading order) spin-orbit contributions, while the phase the (leading order) spin-orbit, self-spin and mass quadrupole-monopole contributions. While the SDW hold for any mass ratio smaller than 1:30, lower bounds for the mass ratios are derived from the best sensitivity frequency range expected for Advanced LIGO (giving 1:140), the Einstein Telescope ($7\times 10^{-4}$), the LAGRANGE ($7\times 10^{-7}$) and LISA missions ($7\times 10^{-9}$), respectively.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, 5 tables, published versio

Accretion processes in magnetically and tidally perturbed Schwarzschild black holes

We study the accretion process in the region of the Preston-Poisson space-time describing a Schwarzschild black hole perturbed by asymptotically uniform magnetic field and axisymmetric tidal structures. We find that the accretion disk shrinks and the marginally stable orbit shifts towards the black hole with the perturbation. The radiation intensity of the accretion disk increases, while the radius where radiation is maximal remains unchanged. The spectrum is blue-shifted. Finally, the conversion efficiency of accreting mass into radiation is decreased by both the magnetic and the tidal perturbations.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. D, 13 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

2+1+1 GENERAL RELATIVISTIC HAMILTONIAN DYNAMICS AND GAUGE FIXING IN HORNDESKI GRAVITY

A novel 2+1+1 decomposition of space-time based on a nonorthogonal double foliation is worked out and applied for the Hamiltonian description of general relativity, recovering earlier results in the proper limit. The complexity of the formalism allows for an unambiguous gauge-fixing of spherically symmetric, static black hole perturbations in the effective field theory approach of scalar-tensor gravitational theories. This gauge choice is also the closest to the general relativistic Regge-Wheeler gauge