TY - JOUR

T1 - Eccentric binary black holes

T2 - Comparing numerical relativity and small mass-ratio perturbation theory

AU - Ramos-Buades, Antoni

AU - Meent, Maarten van de

AU - Pfeiffer, Harald P.

AU - Rueter, Hannes R.

AU - Scheel, Mark A.

AU - Boyle, Michael

AU - Kidder, Lawrence E.

PY - 2022/12/28

Y1 - 2022/12/28

N2 - The modeling of unequal mass binary black hole systems is of high importance to detect and estimate parameters from these systems. Numerical relativity (NR) is well suited to study systems with comparable component masses, m1 similar to m2, whereas small mass ratio (SMR) perturbation theory applies to binaries where q = m2/m1 MUCH LESS-THAN 1. This work investigates the applicability for NR and SMR as a function of mass ratio for eccentric nonspinning binary black holes. We produce 52 NR simulations with mass ratios between 1:10 and 1:1 and initial eccentricities up to 0.8. From these we extract quantities like gravitational wave energy and angular momentum fluxes and periastron advance, and assess their accuracy. To facilitate comparison, we develop tools to map between NR and SMR inspiral evolutions of eccentric binary black holes. We derive post-Newtonian accurate relations between different definitions of eccentricity. Based on these analyses, we introduce a new definition of eccentricity based on the (2,2)-mode of the gravitational radiation, which reduces to the Newtonian definition of eccentricity in the Newtonian limit. From the comparison between NR simulations and SMR results, we quantify the unknown next-to-leading order SMR contributions to the gravitational energy and angular momentum fluxes, and periastron advance. We show that in the comparable mass regime these contributions are subdominant and higher order SMR contributions are negligible.

AB - The modeling of unequal mass binary black hole systems is of high importance to detect and estimate parameters from these systems. Numerical relativity (NR) is well suited to study systems with comparable component masses, m1 similar to m2, whereas small mass ratio (SMR) perturbation theory applies to binaries where q = m2/m1 MUCH LESS-THAN 1. This work investigates the applicability for NR and SMR as a function of mass ratio for eccentric nonspinning binary black holes. We produce 52 NR simulations with mass ratios between 1:10 and 1:1 and initial eccentricities up to 0.8. From these we extract quantities like gravitational wave energy and angular momentum fluxes and periastron advance, and assess their accuracy. To facilitate comparison, we develop tools to map between NR and SMR inspiral evolutions of eccentric binary black holes. We derive post-Newtonian accurate relations between different definitions of eccentricity. Based on these analyses, we introduce a new definition of eccentricity based on the (2,2)-mode of the gravitational radiation, which reduces to the Newtonian definition of eccentricity in the Newtonian limit. From the comparison between NR simulations and SMR results, we quantify the unknown next-to-leading order SMR contributions to the gravitational energy and angular momentum fluxes, and periastron advance. We show that in the comparable mass regime these contributions are subdominant and higher order SMR contributions are negligible.

KW - POPULATION PROPERTIES

KW - CELESTIAL MECHANICS

KW - LIGO

KW - 1ST

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.106.124040

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.106.124040

M3 - Journal article

VL - 106

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

SN - 2470-0010

IS - 12

M1 - 124040

ER -