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arXiv · 0907.1252

Cross section, final spin and zoom-whirl behavior in high-energy black hole collisions

U. Sperhake·V. Cardoso·F. Pretorius·E. Berti·T. Hinderer·N. Yunes
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Abstract

We study the collision of two highly boosted equal mass, nonrotating black holes with generic impact parameter. We find such systems to exhibit zoom-whirl behavior when fine tuning the impact parameter. Near the threshold of immediate merger the remnant black hole Kerr parameter can be near maximal (a/M about 0.95) and the radiated energy can be as large as 35% of the center-of-mass energy.

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U. Sperhake, V. Cardoso, F. Pretorius, E. Berti, T. Hinderer, N. Yunes. 2009-09-07. Cross section, final spin and zoom-whirl behavior in high-energy black hole collisions. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.103.131102

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