Black hole binary mergers

Maximum black-hole spin from quasicircular binary mergers

Black holes of mass M must have a spin angular momentum S below the Kerr limit ( S=M 1), but whether astrophysical black holes can attain this limiting spin depends on their accretion history. Gas accretion from a thin disk limits the black-hole spin to gas & 0:9980 0:0002, as electromagnetic radiation from this disk with retrograde angular momentum is preferentially absorbed by the black hole....

Relativistic SPH Calculations of Compact Binary Mergers

We review recent progress in understanding the hydrodynamics of compact binary mergers using relativistic smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) codes. Recent results are discussed for both double neutron stars and black hole – neutron star binaries. The gravitational wave signals from these mergers contain a lot of information about the masses and radii of the stars and the equation of state of...

Determining the population properties of spinning black holes

There are at least two formation scenarios consistent with the first gravitational-wave observations of binary black hole mergers. In field models, black hole binaries are formed from stellar binaries that may undergo common envelope evolution. In dynamic models, black hole binaries are formed through capture events in globular clusters. Both classes of models are subject to significant theoret...

Contribution of High–mass Black Holes to Mergers of Compact Binaries

We consider the merging of high-mass black-hole binaries of the Cyg X–1 type, in which the O–star companion becomes a neutron star following a supernova explosion. Our estimated rate of mergers, ∼ 2× 10yr for the Galaxy, is relatively low because of the paucity of high–mass black holes. None the less, because of their high masses, these black-hole, neutron-star binaries could contribute importa...

Second and higher-order quasi-normal modes in binary black hole mergers

Golden Binaries for LISA: Robust Probes of Strong-Field Gravity

The space interferometer LISA will detect the gravitational wave (GW) signal from the inspiral, plunge and ringdown phases of massive black hole binary mergers at cosmological distances. From the inspiral waves, we will be able to measure the masses of the binaries’ members; from the ringdown waves, we will be able to measure the mass of the final merged remnant. A subset of detected events all...