Inspiral of Generic Black Hole Binaries: Spin, Precession, and Eccentricity

Abstract

Given the absence of observations of black hole binaries, it is critical that the full range of accessible parameter space be explored in anticipation of future observation with gravitational wave detectors. To this end, we compile the Hamiltonian equations of motion describing the conservative dynamics of the most general black hole binaries, as computed by Will and collaborators, and incorporate an effective treatment of dissipation through gravitational radiation. We evolve these equations for systems with orbital eccentricity and precessing spins. We find that, while spin-spin coupling corrections can destroy constant radius orbits in principle, the effect is so small that orbits will reliably tend to quasi-spherical orbits as angular momentum and energy are lost to gravitational radiation. Still, binaries that are initially highly eccentric may retain eccentricity as they pass into the detectable bandwidth of ground-based gravitational wave detectors. We also show that a useful set of natural frequencies for an orbit demonstrating both spin precession and periastron precession is comprised of (1) the frequency of angular motion in the orbital plane, (2) the frequency of the plane precession, and (3) the frequency of radial oscillations. These three natural harmonics shape the observed waveform.

29 pages, 8 figures, published in CQG

References in corpus (21)

• Coalescing binary systems of compact objects to (post)$^{5/2}-Newtonian order. V. Spin Effects
• On the determination of the last stable orbit for circular general relativistic binaries at the third post-Newtonian approximation
• On the Eccentricity Distribution of Coalescing Black Hole Binaries Driven by the Kozai Mechanism in Globular Clusters
• Spin effects in the inspiral of coalescing compact binaries
• Higher-order spin effects in the amplitude and phase of gravitational waveforms emitted by inspiraling compact binaries: Ready-to-use gravitational waveforms
• Dimensional regularization of the gravitational interaction of point masses
• Higher-order spin effects in the dynamics of compact binaries I. Equations of motion
• Transition from inspiral to plunge in precessing binaries of spinning black holes
• Post-Newtonian gravitational radiation and equations of motion via direct integration of the relaxed Einstein equations. II. Two-body equations of motion to second post-Newtonian order, and radiation-reaction to 3.5 post-Newtonian order
• A Periodic Table for Black Hole Orbits
• A Post-Newtonian diagnostic of quasi-equilibrium binary configurations of compact objects
• Equivalence between the ADM-Hamiltonian and the harmonic-coordinates approaches to the third post-Newtonian dynamics of compact binaries
• Black Hole Mergers and Unstable Circular Orbits
• Self consistent model for the evolution of eccentric massive black hole binaries in stellar environments: implications for gravitational wave observations
• Zoom-Whirl Orbits in Black Hole Binaries
• Post-Newtonian gravitational radiation and equations of motion via direct integration of the relaxed Einstein equations. III. Radiation reaction for binary systems with spinning bodies
• Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals: LISA's unique probe of black hole gravity
• Accuracy of the Post-Newtonian Approximation: Optimal Asymptotic Expansion for Quasi-Circular, Extreme-Mass Ratio Inspirals
• Dynamics of Black Hole Pairs I: Periodic Tables
• Dynamics of Black Hole Pairs II: Spherical Orbits and the Homoclinic Limit of Zoom-Whirliness
• Post-Newtonian gravitational radiation and equations of motion via direct integration of the relaxed Einstein equations. IV. Radiation reaction for binary systems with spin-spin coupling

Cited by in corpus (24)

• GW190521: orbital eccentricity and signatures of dynamical formation in a binary black hole merger signal
• Eccentric, nonspinning, inspiral, Gaussian-process merger approximant for the detection and characterization of eccentric binary black hole mergers
• Accurate and efficient waveforms for compact binaries on eccentric orbits
• Gravitational-wave phasing for low-eccentricity inspiralling compact binaries to 3PN order
• Complete waveform model for compact binaries on eccentric orbits
• Repeated Bursts from Relativistic Scattering of Compact Objects in Galactic Nuclei
• Observing complete gravitational wave signals from dynamical capture binaries
• Eccentric black hole mergers and zoom-whirl behavior from elliptic inspirals to hyperbolic encounters
• Accuracy of Estimating Highly Eccentric Binary Black Hole Parameters with Gravitational-Wave Detections
• A spinning supermassive black hole binary model consistent with VLBI observations of the S5 1928+738 jet
• Parameter Estimation of Gravitational Waves from Precessing BH-NS Inspirals with higher harmonics
• Fusing numerical relativity and deep learning to detect higher-order multipole waveforms from eccentric binary black hole mergers
• Induced Spins from Scattering Experiments of Initially Nonspinning Black Holes
• Gravitational waves from spinning eccentric binaries
• Eccentricity distributions of eccentric binary black holes in galactic nuclei
• Eccentric Binary Black Holes with Spin via the Direct Integration of the Post-Newtonian Equations of Motion
• Stability and chaos of hierarchical three black hole configurations
• Identification of noise artifacts in searches for long-duration gravitational-wave transients
• Numerical relativity higher order gravitational waveforms of eccentric, spinning, non-precessing binary black hole mergers
• A self-lensing supermassive binary black hole at radio frequencies: the story of Spikey continues
• Fast prediction and evaluation of eccentric inspirals using reduced-order models
• Spin-dominated waveforms for unequal mass compact binaries
• Gravitational waveforms for black hole binaries with unequal masses
• GPU accelerated manifold correction method for spinning compact binaries