Scalar functions for wave extraction in numerical relativity

Wave extraction plays a fundamental role in the binary black hole simulations currently performed in numerical relativity. Having a well defined procedure for wave extraction, which matches simplicity with efficiency, is critical especially when comparing waveforms from different simulations. Recently, progress has been made in defining a general technique which uses Weyl scalars to extract the gravitational wave signal, through the introduction of the {\it quasi-Kinnersley tetrad}. This procedure has been used successfully in current numerical simulations; however, it involves complicated calculations. The work in this paper simplifies the procedure by showing that the choice of the {\it quasi-Kinnersley tetrad} is reduced to the choice of the time-like vector used to create it. The space-like vectors needed to complete the tetrad are then easily identified, and it is possible to write the expression for the Weyl scalars in the right tetrad, as simple functions of the electric and magnetic parts of the Weyl tensor.Comment: 5 page

Newman-Penrose quantities as valuable tools in astrophysical relativity

In this talk I will briefly outline work in progress in two different contexts in astrophysical relativity, i.e. the study of rotating star spacetimes and the problem of reliably extracting gravitational wave templates in numerical relativity. In both cases the use of Weyl scalars and curvature invariants helps to clarify important issues.Comment: 3 pages. Proceedings of 16th SIGRAV conference, Vietri, Italy, September 200

Towards a novel wave-extraction method for numerical relativity

We present the recent results of a research project aimed at constructing a robust wave extraction technique for numerical relativity. Our procedure makes use of Weyl scalars to achieve wave extraction. It is well known that, with a correct choice of null tetrad, Weyl scalars are directly associated to physical properties of the space-time under analysis in some well understood way. In particular it is possible to associate $\Psi_4$ with the outgoing gravitational radiation degrees of freedom, thus making it a promising tool for numerical wave--extraction. The right choice of the tetrad is, however, the problem to be addressed. We have made progress towards identifying a general procedure for choosing this tetrad, by looking at transverse tetrads where $\Psi_1=\Psi_3=0$. As a direct application of these concepts, we present a numerical study of the evolution of a non-linearly disturbed black hole described by the Bondi--Sachs metric. This particular scenario allows us to compare the results coming from Weyl scalars with the results coming from the news function which, in this particular case, is directly associated with the radiative degrees of freedom. We show that, if we did not take particular care in choosing the right tetrad, we would end up with incorrect results.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Proceedings of the Albert Einstein Century International Conference, Paris, France, 200

Towards a novel wave-extraction method for numerical relativity. I. Foundations and initial-value formulation

The Teukolsky formalism of black hole perturbation theory describes weak gravitational radiation generated by a mildly dynamical hole near equilibrium. A particular null tetrad of the background Kerr geometry, due to Kinnersley, plays a singularly important role within this formalism. In order to apply the rich physical intuition of Teukolsky's approach to the results of fully non-linear numerical simulations, one must approximate this Kinnersley tetrad using raw numerical data, with no a priori knowledge of a background. This paper addresses this issue by identifying the directions of the tetrad fields in a quasi-Kinnersley frame. This frame provides a unique, analytic extension of Kinnersley's definition for the Kerr geometry to a much broader class of space-times including not only arbitrary perturbations, but also many examples which differ non-perturbatively from Kerr. This paper establishes concrete limits delineating this class and outlines a scheme to calculate the quasi-Kinnersley frame in numerical codes based on the initial-value formulation of geometrodynamics.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Black holes in a box: towards the numerical evolution of black holes in AdS

The evolution of black holes in "confining boxes" is interesting for a number of reasons, particularly because it mimics the global structure of Anti-de Sitter geometries. These are non-globally hyperbolic space-times and the Cauchy problem may only be well defined if the initial data is supplemented by boundary conditions at the time-like conformal boundary. Here, we explore the active role that boundary conditions play in the evolution of a bulk black hole system, by imprisoning a black hole binary in a box with mirror-like boundary conditions. We are able to follow the post-merger dynamics for up to two reflections off the boundary of the gravitational radiation produced in the merger. We estimate that about 15% of the radiation energy is absorbed by the black hole per interaction, whereas transfer of angular momentum from the radiation to the black hole is only observed in the first interaction. We discuss the possible role of superradiant scattering for this result. Unlike the studies with outgoing boundary conditions, both the Newman-Penrose scalars \Psi_4 and \Psi_0 are non-trivial in our setup, and we show that the numerical data verifies the expected relations between them.Comment: REvTex4, 17 pages, 12 Figs. v2: Minor improvements. Published version. Animation of a black hole binary in a box can be found at http://blackholes.ist.utl.pt

Black holes die hard: can one spin-up a black hole past extremality?

A possible process to destroy a black hole consists on throwing point particles with sufficiently large angular momentum into the black hole. In the case of Kerr black holes, it was shown by Wald that particles with dangerously large angular momentum are simply not captured by the hole, and thus the event horizon is not destroyed. Here we reconsider this gedanken experiment for a variety of black hole geometries, from black holes in higher dimensions to black rings. We show that this particular way of destroying a black hole does not succeed and that Cosmic Censorship is preserved.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. RevTex4

Numerical relativity in higher dimensions

We give a status report on our project targeted at performing numerical simulations of a head-on collision of non-spinning black holes in higher dimensional non-compact space-times. These simulations should help us understand black objects in higher dimensions and their stability properties. They are also relevant for the problem of black hole formation and evaporation in particle accelerators and cosmic rays. We use the symmetries of the system to reduce the problem to an effective 3+1 problem, allowing the use of existing numerical codes. As a simple application of the formalism, we present the results for the evolution of a five dimensional single black hole space-time. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd

Black holes in a box

The evolution of BHs in "confining boxes" is interesting for a number of reasons, particularly because it mimics some aspects of anti-de Sitter spacetimes. These admit no Cauchy surface and are a simple example of a non-globally hyperbolic spacetime. We are here interested in the potential role that boundary conditions play in the evolution of a BH system. For that, we imprison a binary BH in a box, at which boundary we set mirror-like boundary conditions. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd

Towards wave extraction in numerical relativity: the quasi-Kinnersley frame

The Newman-Penrose formalism may be used in numerical relativity to extract coordinate-invariant information about gravitational radiation emitted in strong-field dynamical scenarios. The main challenge in doing so is to identify a null tetrad appropriately adapted to the simulated geometry such that Newman-Penrose quantities computed relative to it have an invariant physical meaning. In black hole perturbation theory, the Teukolsky formalism uses such adapted tetrads, those which differ only perturbatively from the background Kinnersley tetrad. At late times, numerical simulations of astrophysical processes producing isolated black holes ought to admit descriptions in the Teukolsky formalism. However, adapted tetrads in this context must be identified using only the numerically computed metric, since no background Kerr geometry is known a priori. To do this, this paper introduces the notion of a quasi-Kinnersley frame. This frame, when space-time is perturbatively close to Kerr, approximates the background Kinnersley frame. However, it remains calculable much more generally, in space-times non-perturbatively different from Kerr. We give an explicit solution for the tetrad transformation which is required in order to find this frame in a general space-time.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure