Gravitational waves from compact binaries to the fourth post-Newtonian order
The precise knowledge of the gravitational phase evolution of compact binaries is crucial to the data analysis for gravitational waves. Until recently, it was known analytically (for non-spinning systems) up to the 3.5 post-Newtonian (PN) order, i.e. up to the $(v/c)^7$ correction beyond the leading order quadrupole formula. Using a PN-multipolar-post-Minkowskian algorithm, we have pushed the accuracy to the next 4PN level. This derivation involved challenging technical issues, due to the appearance of non-physical divergences, which have to be properly regularized, as well as effects of non-linear multipole interactions.
gr-qc↗