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

Combined cosmological tests of a bivalent tachyonic dark energy scalar field model

A recently investigated tachyonic scalar field dark energy dominated universe exhibits a bivalent future: depending on initial parameters can run either into a de Sitter exponential expansion or into a traversable future soft singularity followed by a contraction phase. We also include in the model (i) a tiny amount of radiation, (ii) baryonic matter ($\Omega _{b}h^{2}=0.022161$, where the Hubble constant is fixed as $h=0.706$) and (iii) cold dark matter (CDM). Out of a variety of six types of evolutions arising in a more subtle classification, we identify two in which in the past the scalar field effectively degenerates into a dust (its pressure drops to an insignificantly low negative value). These are the evolutions of type IIb converging to de Sitter and type III hitting the future soft singularity. We confront these background evolutions with various cosmological tests, including the supernova type Ia Union 2.1 data, baryon acoustic oscillation distance ratios, Hubble parameter-redshift relation and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) acoustic scale. We determine a subset of the evolutions of both types which at 1$\sigma$ confidence level are consistent with all of these cosmological tests. At perturbative level we derive the CMB temperature power spectrum to find the best agreement with the Planck data for $\Omega _{CDM}=0.22$. The fit is as good as for the $\Lambda$CDM model at high multipoles, but the power remains slightly overestimated at low multipoles, for both types of evolutions. The rest of the CDM is effectively generated by the tachyonic field, which in this sense acts as a combined dark energy and dark matter model.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figure

New variables for brane-world gravity

Geometric variables naturally occurring in a time-like foliation of brane-worlds are introduced. These consist of the induced metric and two sets of lapse functions and shift vectors, supplemented by two sets of tensorial, vectorial and scalar variables arising as projections of the two extrinsic curvatures. A subset of these variables turn out to be dynamical. Brane-world gravitational dynamics is given as the time evolution of these variables.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the Albert Einstein's Century International Conference, Paris 2005 (AIP Conference Proceedings, 2006

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