arXiv subjects

Sebastiano Bernuzzi

Publications and source records attributed to Sebastiano Bernuzzi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Gravitational scattering of two neutron stars

We present the first numerical relativity simulations of the gravitational scattering of two neutron stars. Constraint-satisfying initial data for two equal-mass nonspinning sequences are constructed at fixed energy and various initial angular momenta (impact parameter) and evolved with Einstein equations through the scattering process. The strong-field scattering dynamics are explored up to scattering angles of $220^\circ$ and the threshold of dynamical captures. The transition to bound orbits is aided by significant mass ejecta up to baryon mass ${\sim}0.1M_\odot$. A quantitative comparison with predictions of the scattering angle from state-of-the-art effective-one-body and post-Minkowskian calculations indicates quantitative agreement for large initial angular momenta although significant discrepancies in the tidal contribution emerge toward the capture threshold. Gravitational waveforms and radiated energy are in qualitative agreement with the analogous black hole problem and state-of-the-art effective-one-body predictions. Toward the capture threshold waveforms from scattering dynamics carry a strong imprint of matter effects, including the stars' $f$-mode excitations during the close encounter. Overall, our simulations open a new avenue to study tidal interactions in the relativistic two-body problem.

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arXiv2025

Ab-Initio General-Relativistic Neutrino-Radiation Hydrodynamics Simulations of Long-Lived Neutron Star Merger Remnants to Neutrino Cooling Timescales

We perform the first 3D ab-initio general-relativistic neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics of a long-lived neutron star merger remnant spanning a fraction of its cooling time scale. We find that neutrino cooling becomes the dominant energy loss mechanism after the gravitational-wave dominated phase (${\sim}20\ {\rm ms}$ postmerger). Electron flavor anti-neutrino luminosity dominates over electron flavor neutrino luminosity at early times, resulting in a secular increase of the electron fraction in the outer layers of the remnant. However, the two luminosities become comparable ${\sim}20{-}40\ {\rm ms}$ postmerger. A dense gas of electron anti-neutrinos is formed in the outer core of the remnant at densities ${\sim}10^{14.5}\ {\rm g}\ {\rm cm}^{-3}$, corresponding to temperature hot spots. The neutrinos account for ${\sim}10\%$ of the lepton number in this region. Despite the negative radial temperature gradient, the radial entropy gradient remains positive and the remnant is stably stratified according to the Ledoux criterion for convection. A massive accretion disk is formed from the material squeezed out of the collisional interface between the stars. The disk carries a large fraction of the angular momentum of the system, allowing the remnant massive neutron star to settle to a quasi-steady equilibrium within the region of possible stable rigidly rotating configurations. The remnant is differentially rotating, but it is stable against the magnetorotational instability. Other MHD mechanisms operating on longer timescales are likely responsible for the removal of the differential rotation. Our results indicate the remnant massive neutron star is thus qualitatively different from a protoneutron stars formed in core-collapse supernovae.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Gravitational waves from eccentric binary neutron star mergers: Systematic biases and inadequacy of quasicircular templates

The use of quasicircular waveforms in matched-filter analyses of signals from eccentric binary neutron star mergers can lead to biases in the source's parameter estimation. We demonstrate that significant biases can be present already for moderate eccentricities $e_{0} \gtrsim 0.05$ and signals detected by LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA with signal-to-noise ratio $\gtrsim 12$. We perform systematic Bayesian mock analyses of unequal-mass nonspinning binary neutron star signals up to eccentricities $e_0 \sim 0.1$ using quasicircular effective-one-body waveforms with spins. We find fractional signal-to-noise ratio losses up to tens of percent and up to 16$σ$ deviations in the inference of the chirp mass. The latter effect is sufficiently large to lead to an incorrect (and ambiguous) source identification. The inclusion of spin precession in the quasicircular waveform does not capture eccentricity effects. We conclude that high-precision observations with advanced (and next generation) detectors are likely to require standardized, accurate, and fast eccentric waveforms.

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arXiv2025

Perturbative Hyperboloidal Extraction of Gravitational Waves in 3+1 Numerical Relativity

We present a framework to propagate to null infinity gravitational waves computed at timelike worldtubes in the interior of a 3+1 (Cauchy) numerical relativity simulations. In our method, numerical relativity data are used as the inner inflowing boundary of a perturbative time-domain Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli simulation in hyperboloidal coordinates that reaches null infinity. We showcase waveforms from (3+1)D simulations of gravitational collapse of rotating neutron stars, binary black holes mergers and scattering, and binary neutron star mergers and compare them to other extrapolation methods. Our perturbative hyperboloidal extraction provides a simple yet efficient procedure to compute gravitational waves with data quality comparable to the Cauchy characteristic extraction for several practical applications. Nonlinear effects in the wave propagation are not captured by our method, but the present work is a stepping stone towards more sophisticated hyperboloidal schemes for gravitational-wave extraction.

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arXiv2025

Binary black hole merger in the extreme mass ratio limit: a multipolar analysis of the inclined orbit case

We compute the gravitational waveform emitted during the transition from quasi-spherical inspiral to plunge, merger and ringdown for a system of two black holes in the extreme mass ratio limit, where the primary is spinning and the secondary is represented by a nonspinning point-particle inspiralling along inclined orbits. The point-particle dynamics is described via a Hamiltonian formalism and the transition is driven by an effective-one-body like radiation reaction force. The gravitational waveform is obtained solving numerically, in the time-domain, the Teukolsky equation with a $δ$-like source. The waveform is systematically characterized varying the black hole spin magnitude between $(0,0.9)$ and the inclination angle of the orbit between $(0,π)$. We consider all multipoles up to $\ell=4$ and compute the energy and angular momentum losses during the plunge. The impact of the $m\neq \ell$ modes grows as the inclination angle is increased. We also use our framework to quantify the accuracy of the approximate inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform for an inclined orbit that can be obtained by applying a suitable time-dependent rotation to a given spin-aligned waveform with approximately consistent (but constant) spin-orbit coupling.

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arXiv2025

The Science of the Einstein Telescope

Einstein Telescope (ET) is the European project for a gravitational-wave (GW) observatory of third-generation. In this paper we present a comprehensive discussion of its science objectives, providing state-of-the-art predictions for the capabilities of ET in both geometries currently under consideration, a single-site triangular configuration or two L-shaped detectors. We discuss the impact that ET will have on domains as broad and diverse as fundamental physics, cosmology, early Universe, astrophysics of compact objects, physics of matter in extreme conditions, and dynamics of stellar collapse. We discuss how the study of extreme astrophysical events will be enhanced by multi-messenger observations. We highlight the ET synergies with ground-based and space-borne GW observatories, including multi-band investigations of the same sources, improved parameter estimation, and complementary information on astrophysical or cosmological mechanisms obtained combining observations from different frequency bands. We present advancements in waveform modeling dedicated to third-generation observatories, along with open tools developed within the ET Collaboration for assessing the scientific potentials of different detector configurations. We finally discuss the data analysis challenges posed by third-generation observatories, which will enable access to large populations of sources and provide unprecedented precision.

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arXiv2025

Magnetic Field Configurations in Binary Neutron Star Mergers II: Inspiral, Merger and Ejecta

We perform a series of simulations of magnetised Binary Neutron Star mergers, with varying magnetic field topologies in the initial data, as well as varying Equations of State, and mass ratios. In this paper, a companion paper to arXiv:2506.18995, we analyse the impact of the initial field configuration on the gravitational wave signal, the amplification of the magnetic field, and the ejected material. We investigate the dependence of the phase evolution of the gravitational wave in the post-merger on the initial magnetic field, finding that dephasing between the $(\ell=2,m=2)$ mode of the gravitational wave, and the $(2,1)$ and $(3,3)$ modes may be strongly impacted by the numerical reconstruction scheme. The magnetic field amplification during the Kelvin-Helmholtz dominated phase may be considerably enhanced by anti-aligned fields, or suppressed by toroidal fields. The post-merger amplification of the field due to winding may be suppressed by toroidal fields, and enhanced by asymmetries or mixtures of poloidal and toroidal fields. The field strength in the ejecta may be impacted by the initial magnetic field, with configurations which lead to large amplifications and those with mixtures of poloidal and toroidal fields preferentially emitting highly magnetised material in the polar regions, showing a weaker dependence of the magnetic field on the density of the ejecta than in cases that amplify the magnetic field less. We find that the magnetic field is largely randomly oriented in the ejected material, supporting such models used to estimate thermalisation timescales of ejected material. We find that configurations which begin with an initial bitant symmetry break this symmetry uniformly, independent of the initial configuration, when evolved without an enforced symmetry. This behaviour suggests the presence of a spontaneous symmetry breaking bifurcation in the solution.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Covariant and Gauge-invariant Metric-based Gravitational-waves Extraction in Numerical Relativity

We revisit the problem of gravitational-wave extraction in numerical relativity with gauge-invariant metric perturbation theory of spherical spacetimes. Our extraction algorithm allows the computation of even-parity (Zerilli-Moncrief) and odd-parity (Regge-Wheeler) multipoles of the strain from a (3+1) metric without the assumption that the spherical background is in Schwarzschild coordinates. The algorithm is validated with a comprehensive suite of 3D problems including fluid ($f$-modes) and spacetime ($w$-modes) perturbations of neutron stars, gravitational collapse of rotating neutron stars, circular binary black holes mergers and black hole dynamical captures and binary neutron star mergers. We find that metric extraction is robust in all the considered scenarios and delivers waveforms of overall quality similar to curvature (Weyl) extraction. Metric extraction is particularly valuable in identifying waveform systematics for problems in which the reconstruction of the strain from the Weyl multipoles is ambiguous. Direct comparison of different choices for the gauge-invariant master functions show very good agreement in the even-parity sector. Instead, in the odd-parity sector, assuming the background in Schwarzschild coordinates can minimize gauge effects related to the use of the $Γ$-driver shift. Moreover, for optimal choices of the extraction radius, a simple extrapolation to null infinity can deliver waveforms compatible to Cauchy-characteristic extrapolated waveforms.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Long-lived neutron-star remnants from asymmetric binary neutron star mergers: element formation, kilonova signals and gravitational waves

We present 3D general-relativistic neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics simulations of two asymmetric binary neutron star mergers producing long-lived neutron stars remnants and spanning a fraction of their cooling time scale. The mergers are characterized by significant tidal disruption with neutron rich material forming a massive disc around the remnant. The latter develops one-armed dynamics that is imprinted in the emitted kilo-Hertz gravitational waves. Angular momentum transport to the disc is initially driven by spiral-density waves and enhanced by turbulent viscosity and neutrino heating on longer timescales. The mass outflows are composed by neutron-rich dynamical ejecta of mass ${\sim}10^{-3}-10^{-2}M_\odot$ followed by a persistent spiral-wave/neutrino-driven wind of ${\gtrsim}10^{-2}M_\odot$ with material spanning a wide range of electron fractions, ${\sim}0.1-0.55$. Dynamical ejecta (winds) have fast velocity tails up to ${\sim}0.8$ (${\sim}0.4$) c. The outflows are further evolved to days timescale using 2D ray-by-ray radiation-hydrodynamics simulations that include an online nuclear network. We find complete $r$-process yields and identify the production of $^{56}$Ni and the subsequent decay chain to $^{56}$Co and $^{56}$Fe. Synthetic kilonova light curves predict an extended (near-) infrared peak a few days postmerger originating from $r$-process in the neutron-rich/high-opacity ejecta and UV/optical peaks at a few hours (ten minutes) postmerger originating from weak $r$-process (free-neutron decay) in the faster ejecta components. Additionally, the fast tail of tidal origin generates kilonova afterglows potentially detectable in radio and X band on a few to ten years time scale. Quantitative effects originating from the tidal disruption merger dynamics are reflected in the multimessenger emissions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Binary Black Hole Waveforms from High-Resolution GR-Athena++ Simulations

The detection and subsequent inference of binary black hole signals rely heavily on the accuracy of the waveform model employed. In the highly non-linear, dynamic, and strong-field regime near merger, these waveforms can only be accurately modeled through numerical relativity simulations. Considering the precision requirements of next-generation gravitational wave observatories, we present in this paper high-resolution simulations of four non-spinning quasi-circular binary black hole systems with mass ratios of 1, 2, 3, and 4, conducted using the GR-Athena++ code. We extract waveforms from these simulations using both finite radius and Cauchy characteristic extraction (CCE) methods. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive error analysis to evaluate the accuracy and convergence of the waveforms. Our self-mismatch study shows that the (2, 2) mode of the CCE strains, for the world tube extraction radius of $R=50$, reaches the level of ${\sim} 10^{-12}$ mismatch for mass ratios of 1, 2, 3, and ${\sim} 10^{-11}$ mismatch for the mass ratio of 4. However, when larger extraction radii are considered or when more modes are included the mismatches increase. These results highlight both the promise and limitations of current simulations in achieving the precision required for upcoming detectors such as LISA, Cosmic Explorer, and Einstein Telescope. The waveforms are publicly available on ScholarSphere, and represent the first set of waveforms of the new GR-Athena++ catalog.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

$^{56}$Ni production in long-lived binary neutron star merger remnants

We investigate the nucleosynthesis and kilonova emission based on numerical-relativity binary neutron star merger simulations that incorporate a two-moment neutrino-transport scheme. Unlike in previous works with simpler neutrino treatments, a massive, fast (up to $v=0.3c$), proton-rich neutrino-driven wind develops in the post-merger phase of the simulations as long as the merger remnant does not collapse to a black hole. We evolve the ejecta for 100 days after the merger using 2D ray-by-ray radiation-hydrodynamics simulations coupled in-situ to a complete nuclear network. The most abundant nucleosynthesis products are He, $^{56}$Ni, and $^{56}$Co. We find a total yield of $\sim 10^{-3} M_\odot$ of $^{56}$Ni for all mergers that produce massive neutron star remnants, independently of the mass ratio and equation of state. After a few days, the decay of $^{56}$Ni and later $^{56}$Co becomes the primary source of heating in the matter expanding above the remnant. As a result, the kilonova light curve flattens on timescales of days for polar observation angles. The observation of this effect could serve as smoking gun for the presence of a long-lived neutron star remnant in future kilonova observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Effective-one-body modeling for generic compact binaries with arbitrary orbits

We present the first unified model for the general relativistic dynamics and gravitational radiation of generic compact binaries. TEOBResumS-Dalí is a model based on the effective-one-body framework incorporating tidal interactions, generic spins, multipolar radiation reaction/waveform and numerical-relativity information. It allows the computation of gravitational waves and other dynamical gauge invariants from generic binaries (black holes, neutron stars, neutron star-black hole binaries) evolving along arbitrary orbits (quasi-circular, eccentric, non-planar) through merger and including scattering. The performances of TEOBResumS-Dalí in the strong-field regime are showcased by comparisons with a large sample of 1395 high-accuracy numerical-relativity simulations available. TEOBResumS-Dalí allows the computation of faithful waveforms for gravitational wave astronomy, providing at the same time an understanding and a prediction of the strong-field dynamics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Eccentricity reduction of binary neutron star initial data with the entropy based flux limiting scheme

The construction of high-resolution shock-capturing schemes is vital in producing highly accurate gravitational waveforms from neutron star binaries. The entropy based flux limiting (EFL) scheme is able to perform fast converging binary neutron star merger simulations reaching up to fourth-order convergence in the gravitational waveform phase. In these results the EFL method was used only in the dynamical evolution of initial data constructed with the Lorene library. Here, we extend the use of the EFL method to the construction of eccentricity reduced initial data for neutron star binaries and present several new BNS simulations resulting from such initial data and show for the first time up to optimal fifth-order convergence in the gravitational waveform phase.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Cocoon shock breakout emission from binary neutron star mergers

Shock breakout emission is among the first observable signals in a wide variety of astrophysical phenomena, including neutron star (NS) mergers, and it can be the dominant component in low-luminosity short $γ$-ray bursts, as exemplified by GRB 170817A. In this work, we investigate the cocoon shock breakout emission in NS mergers and how its signal depends on the outermost layers of the ejecta profile, which we derive from general relativistic radiation hydrodynamic simulations. We study the formation of the cocoon as a consequence of a relativistic jet propagating through the ejecta. To explore the influence of the outermost layers of the ejecta on the breakout emission, we explore cases where the ejecta has a sharp cutoff or an extended smooth tail. We find that the shock breakout emission is strongly influenced by the shape of the ejecta outer layers, with extended tails yielding results consistent with the observed properties of GRB 170817A, whereas sharp cutoffs overestimate the radiated energy. Using a Bayesian analysis, we estimate the best fit parameters of the central engine, considering both accreting black hole and magnetized neutron star scenarios. Our findings indicate a slight preference for the scenarios where the engine is a black hole. Our work probes the nature of neutron star mergers and highlights the importance of the shape of the ejecta profile in modeling early electromagnetic counterparts to these mergers.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Scattering and dynamical capture of two black holes: synergies between numerical and analytical methods

We study initially unbound systems of two black holes using numerical relativity (NR) simulations performed with GR-Athena++. We focus on regions of the parameter space close to the transition from scatterings to dynamical captures, considering equal mass and spin-aligned configurations, as well as unequal mass and nonspinning ones. The numerical results are then used to validate the effective-one-body (EOB) model TEOBResumS-Dalí for dynamical captures and scatterings. We find good agreement for the waveform phenomenologies, scattering angles, mismatches, and energetics in the low energy regime ($E_0\lesssim 1.02\,M$). In particular, mismatches weighted with the zero-detuned, high-power noise spectral density of Advanced LIGO are typically below or around the $1\%$ level, with only a few cases, corresponding to spinning binaries, slightly above the $3\%$ threshold, thus suggesting the usability of TEOBResumS-Dalí for current data analysis of low-energy scatterings and dynamical captures. We also discuss dynamical captures in the test-mass limit by solving numerically the Zerilli equation with the time domain code RWZHyp. The latter analysis provides valuable insights into both the analytical noncircular corrections of the EOB waveform and the integration of NR Weyl scalars.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Effective-one-body waveform model for noncircularized, planar, coalescing black hole binaries II:high accuracy by improving logarithmic terms in resummations

Effective-one-body (EOB) models are based on analytical building blocks that, mathematically, are truncated Taylor series with logarithms. These functions are usually resummed using Padé approximants obtained first assuming that the logarithms are constant, and then replacing them back into the resulting rational functions. A recent study pointed out that this procedure introduces spurious logarithmic terms when the resummed functions are reexpanded. Here we update the TEOBResumS-Dalí waveform model for spin-aligned, noncircularized coalescing black hole binaries by systematically implementing new (still Padé based) resummations for all EOB functions (that is, the metric potentials $A, D$ and the residual waveform amplitude corrections $ρ_{\ell m}$ up to $\ell=8$). Once the model is informed by 50 Numerical Relativity simulations, this new approach proves key in lowering the maximum EOB/NR unfaithfulness $\bar{F}_{\rm EOBNR}^{\rm max}$ for the $\ell=m=2$ mode (with the Advanced LIGO noise in the total mass range $10-200M_{\odot}$) over 530 spin-aligned waveforms of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes catalog. A median unfaithfulness equal to $3.09\times 10^{-4}$ is achieved, which is a marked improvement over the previous value, $1.06\times 10^{-3}$. The largest value, ${\rm Max}[\bar{F}^{\rm max}_{\rm EOBNR}]= 6.80\times 10^{-3}$, is found for an equal-mass, equal-spin simulation with dimensionless spins $\sim +0.998$; only five configurations have $\bar{F}^{\rm max}_{\rm EOBNR} > 5\times 10^{-3}$ (four of which equal-mass and with equal spins larger than $\sim +0.98$). Results for eccentric binaries are similarly excellent (well below $10^{-2}$ and mostly around $10^{-3}$).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Time-Variant Vector Field Visualization for Magnetic Fields of Neutron Star Simulations

We present a novel visualization application designed to explore the time-dependent development of magnetic fields of neutron stars. The strongest magnetic fields in the universe can be found within neutron stars, potentially playing a role in initiating astrophysical jets and facilitating the outflow of neutron-rich matter, ultimately resulting in the production of heavy elements during binary neutron star mergers. Since such effects may be dependent on the strength and configuration of the magnetic field, the formation and parameters of such fields are part of current research in astrophysics. Magnetic fields are investigated using simulations in which various initial configurations are tested. However, the long-term configuration is an open question, and current simulations do not achieve a stable magnetic field. Neutron star simulations produce data quantities in the range of several terabytes, which are both spatially in 3D and temporally resolved. Our tool enables physicists to interactively explore the generated data. We first convert the data in a pre-processing step and then we combine sparse vector field visualization using streamlines with dense vector field visualization using line integral convolution. We provide several methods to interact with the data responsively. This allows the user to intuitively investigate data-specific issues. Furthermore, diverse visualization techniques facilitate individual exploration of the data and enable real-time processing of specific domain tasks, like the investigation of the time-dependent evolution of the magnetic field. In a qualitative study, domain experts tested the tool, and the usability was queried. Experts rated the tool very positively and recommended it for their daily work.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Entropy based flux limiting scheme for conservation laws

The entropy based flux-limiting (EFL) scheme is a novel approach designed to accurately resolve shocks and discontinuities in special and general relativistic hydrodynamics. By adaptively adjusting the numerical fluxes, the EFL method mitigates oscillations and preserves smooth transition across discontinuities in shock-dominated flows. Here, we extend the applicability of the EFL method beyond special/general relativistic hydrodynamics to scalar conservation laws and show how to treat systems without a thermodynamic entropy. This is an indication that the method has universal applicability to any system of partial differential equations that can be written in conservation form. We also present some further very challenging special/general relativistic hydrodynamics applications of the EFL method.

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