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arXiv · 2605.16492

Dynamical quasinormal mode excitation II: propagation and convergence in Schwarzschild

Abstract

We study the dynamical excitation of quasinormal modes (QNMs) during the plunge of a particle into a Schwarzschild black hole, building on the framework of Phys. Rev. D 113 (2026) 2, 024048 (Paper I). Investigating the high-frequency behavior of Leaver's QNM solutions, we obtain a more accurate and general prescription for their propagation. We confirm the existence of a new "characteristic radius" for QNM excitation, the bounce radius $r_*=0$, in agreement with recent literature. To its right, the QNM signal scatters off this point before reaching the observer; to its left, it propagates directly on the light-cone. Applying the formalism of Paper I to inspiralling particles, and using this refined prescription, we obtain a QNM signal that accurately reproduces the oscillatory component of the waveform after the bounce crossing, yielding an essentially complete first-principles description of the waveform from shortly after the signal peak. The dynamical QNM signal undergoes a transition as the particle crosses the bounce radius: from a quasi-resonant regime, where successive overtones are driven in counter-phase and interfere destructively, to a free-oscillator one, where they are in phase and the QNM sum converges rapidly. These results provide a clear physical interpretation of the collective QNM behavior during the plunge, and a firm theoretical foundation for accurate ringdown modelling.

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Marina De Amicis, Enrico Cannizzaro, Gregorio Carullo, Adrien Kuntz, Laura Sberna. 2026-05-15. Dynamical quasinormal mode excitation II: propagation and convergence in Schwarzschild. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.16492

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