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arXiv · 2112.12265

Gravitational waveforms for compact binaries from second-order self-force theory

Barry Wardell·Adam Pound·Niels Warburton·Jeremy Miller·Leanne Durkan·Alexandre Le Tiec
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Abstract

We produce gravitational waveforms for nonspinning compact binaries undergoing a quasicircular inspiral. Our approach is based on a two-timescale expansion of the Einstein equations in second-order self-force theory, which allows first-principles waveform production in tens of milliseconds. Although the approach is designed for extreme mass ratios, our waveforms agree remarkably well with those from full numerical relativity, even for comparable-mass systems. Our results will be invaluable in accurately modelling extreme-mass-ratio inspirals for the LISA mission and intermediate-mass-ratio systems currently being observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration.

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Barry Wardell, Adam Pound, Niels Warburton, Jeremy Miller, Leanne Durkan, Alexandre Le Tiec. 2021-12-22. Gravitational waveforms for compact binaries from second-order self-force theory. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.130.241402

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