arXiv subjects

Thibault Damour

Publications and source records attributed to Thibault Damour.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Gravitational spin-orbit coupling in binary systems, post-Minkowskian approximation and effective one-body theory

A novel approach for extracting gauge-invariant information about spin-orbit coupling in gravitationally interacting binary systems is introduced. This approach is based on the "scattering holonomy", i.e. the integration (from the infinite past to the infinite future) of the differential spin evolution along the two worldlines of a binary system in hyperboliclike motion. We apply this approach to the computation, at the first post-Minkowskian approximation (i.e. first order in $G$ and all orders in $v/c$), of the values of the two gyrogravitomagnetic ratios describing spin-orbit coupling in the Effective One-Body formalism. These gyrogravitomagnetic ratios are found to tend to zero in the ultrarelativistic limit.

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arXiv2017

Gravitational scattering of two black holes at the fourth post-Newtonian approximation

We compute the (center-of-mass frame) scattering angle $χ$ of hyperboliclike encounters of two spinning black holes, at the fourth post-Newtonian approximation level for orbital effects, and at the next-to-next-to-leading order for spin-dependent effects. We find it convenient to compute the gauge-invariant scattering angle (expressed as a function of energy, orbital angular momentum and spins) by using the Effective-One-Body formalism. The contribution to scattering associated with nonlocal, tail effects is computed by generalizing to the case of unbound motions the method of time-localization of the action introduced in the case of (small-eccentricity) bound motions by Damour, Jaranowski and Schäfer [Phys.\ Rev.\ D {\bf 91}, no. 8, 084024 (2015)].

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arXiv2017

Spin-orbit precession along eccentric orbits for extreme mass ratio black hole binaries and its effective-one-body transcription

In this work we present an analytical gravitational self-force calculation of the spin-orbit precession along an eccentric orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole, following closely the recent prescription of Akcay, Dempsey, and Dolan. We then transcribe this quantity within the Effective-One-Body (EOB) formalism, thereby determining several new, linear-in-mass-ratio, contributions in the post-Newtonian expansion of the spin-orbit couplings entering the EOB Hamiltonian. Namely, we determine the second gyro-gravitomagnetic ratio $g_{S_*}(r,p_r,p_ϕ)$ up to order $p_r^2/r^4$ included.

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arXiv2017

Quantum Supersymmetric Cosmological Billiards and their Hidden Kac-Moody Structure

We study the quantum fermionic billiard defined by the dynamics of a quantized supersymmetric squashed three-sphere (Bianchi IX cosmological model within D=4 simple supergravity). The quantization of the homogeneous gravitino field leads to a 64-dimensional fermionic Hilbert space. We focus on the 15- and 20-dimensional subspaces (with fermion numbers N_F=2 and N_F=3) where there exist propagating solutions of the supersymmetry constraints that carry (in the small-wavelength limit) a chaotic spinorial dynamics generalizing the Belinskii-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz classical "oscillatory" dynamics. By exactly solving the supersymmetry constraints near each one of the three dominant potential walls underlying the latter chaotic billiard dynamics, we compute the three operators that describe the corresponding three potential-wall reflections of the spinorial state describing, in supergravity, the quantum evolution of the universe. It is remarkably found that the latter, purely dynamically-defined, reflection operators satisfy generalized Coxeter relations which define a type of spinorial extension of the Weyl group of the rank-3 hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebra AE_3.

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arXiv2017

On the four-loop static contribution to the gravitational interaction potential of two point masses

We compute a subset of three, velocity-independent four-loop (and fourth post-Newtonian) contributions to the harmonic-coordinates effective action of a gravitationally interacting system of two point-masses. We find that, after summing the three terms, the coefficient of the total contribution is rational, due to a remarkable cancellation between the various occurrences of $π^2$. This result, obtained by a classical field-theory calculation, corrects the recent effective-field-theory-based calculation by Foffa et al. [arXiv:1612.00482]. Besides showing the usefulness of the saddle-point approach to the evaluation of the effective action, and of x-space computations, our result brings a further confirmation of the current knowledge of the fourth post-Newtonian effective action. We also show how the use of the generalized Riesz formula [Phys. Rev. D 57, 7274 (1998)] allows one to analytically compute a certain four-loop scalar master integral (represented by a four-spoked wheel diagram) which was, so far, only numerically computed.

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arXiv2016

Gravitational scattering, post-Minkowskian approximation and Effective One-Body theory

A novel approach to the Effective One-Body description of gravitationally interacting two-body systems is introduced. This approach is based on the post-Minkowskian approximation scheme (perturbation theory in G, without assuming small velocities), and employs a new dictionary focussing on the functional dependence of the scattering angle on the total energy and the total angular momentum of the system. Using this approach, we prove to all orders in v/c two results that were previously known to hold only to a limited post-Newtonian accuracy: (i) the relativistic gravitational dynamics of a two-body system is equivalent, at first post-Minkowskian order, to the relativistic dynamics of an effective test particle moving in a Schwarzschild metric; and (ii) this equivalence requires the existence of an exactly quadratic map between the real (relativistic) two-body energy and the (relativistic) energy of the effective particle. The same energy map is also shown to apply to the effective one-body description of two masses interacting via tensor-scalar gravity.

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arXiv2016

Spin-dependent two-body interactions from gravitational self-force computations

We analytically compute, through the eight-and-a-half post-Newtonian order and the fourth-order in spin, the gravitational self-force correction to Detweiler's gauge invariant redshift function for a small mass in circular orbit around a Kerr black hole. Using the first law of mechanics for black hole binaries with spin [L.~Blanchet, A.~Buonanno and A.~Le Tiec, Phys.\ Rev.\ D {\bf 87}, 024030 (2013)] we transcribe our results into a knowledge of various spin-dependent couplings, as encoded within the spinning effective-one-body model of T.~Damour and A.~Nagar [Phys.\ Rev.\ D {\bf 90}, 044018 (2014)]. We also compare our analytical results to the (corrected) numerical self-force results of A.~G.~Shah, J.~L.~Friedman and T.~S.~Keidl [Phys.\ Rev.\ D {\bf 86}, 084059 (2012)], from which we show how to directly extract physically relevant spin-dependent couplings.

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arXiv2016

New gravitational self-force analytical results for eccentric orbits around a Schwarzschild black hole

We raise the analytical knowledge of the eccentricity-expansion of the Detweiler-Barack-Sago redshift invariant in a Schwarzschild spacetime up to the 9.5th post-Newtonian order (included) for the $e^2$ and $e^4$ contributions, and up to the 4th post-Newtonian order for the higher eccentricity contributions through $e^{20}$. We convert this information into an analytical knowledge of the effective-one-body radial potentials $\bar d(u)$, $ρ(u)$ and $q(u)$ through the 9.5th post-Newtonian order. We find that our analytical results are compatible with current corresponding numerical self-force data.

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arXiv2016

Conservative dynamics of two-body systems at the fourth post-Newtonian approximation of general relativity

The fourth post-Newtonian (4PN) two-body dynamics has been recently tackled by several different approaches: effective field theory, Arnowitt-Deser-Misner Hamiltonian, action-angle-Delaunay averaging, effective-one-body, gravitational self-force, first law of dynamics, and Fokker action. We review the achievements of these approaches and discuss the complementarity of their results. Our main conclusions are: (i) the results of the first complete derivation of the 4PN dynamics [T.Damour, P.Jaranowski, and G.Schäfer, Phys. Rev. D 89, 064058 (2014)] have been, piecewise, fully confirmed by several subsequent works; (ii) the results of the Delaunay-averaging technique [T.Damour, P.Jaranowski, and G.Schäfer, Phys. Rev. D 91, 084024 (2015)] have been confirmed by several independent works; and (iii) several claims in a recent Fokker-action computation [L.Bernard et al., arXiv:1512.02876v2 [gr-qc]] are incorrect, but can be corrected by the addition of a couple of ambiguity parameters linked to subtleties in the regularization of infrared and ultraviolet divergences.

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arXiv2016

Conservative second-order gravitational self-force on circular orbits and the effective one-body formalism

We consider Detweiler's redshift variable $z$ for a nonspinning mass $m_1$ in circular motion (with orbital frequency $Ω$) around a nonspinning mass $m_2$. We show how the combination of effective-one-body (EOB) theory with the first law of binary dynamics allows one to derive a simple, exact expression for the functional dependence of $z$ on the (gauge-invariant) EOB gravitational potential $u=(m_1+m_2)/R$. We then use the recently obtained high-post-Newtonian(PN)-order knowledge of the main EOB radial potential $A(u ; ν)$ [where $ν= m_1 m_2/(m_1+m_2)^2$] to decompose the second-self-force-order contribution to the function $z(m_2 Ω, m_1/m_2)$ into a known part (which goes beyond the 4PN level in including the 5PN logarithmic term, and the 5.5PN contribution), and an unknown one [depending on the yet unknown, 5PN, 6PN, $\ldots$, contributions to the $O(ν^2)$ contribution to the EOB radial potential $A(u ; ν)$]. We indicate the expected singular behaviors, near the lightring, of the second-self-force-order contributions to both the redshift and the EOB $A$ potential. Our results should help both in extracting information of direct dynamical significance from ongoing second-self-force-order computations, and in parametrizing their global strong-field behaviors. We also advocate computing second-self-force-order conservative quantities by iterating the time-symmetric Green-function in the background spacetime.

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arXiv2016

High post-Newtonian order gravitational self-force analytical results for eccentric orbits around a Kerr black hole

We present the first analytic computation of the Detweiler-Barack-Sago gauge-invariant redshift function for a small mass in {\it eccentric} orbit around a {\it spinning} black hole. Our results give the redshift contributions that mix eccentricity and spin effects, through second order in eccentricity, second order in spin parameter, and the eight-and-a-half post-Newtonian order.

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arXiv2015

Energetics and phasing of nonprecessing spinning coalescing black hole binaries

We present an improved numerical relativity (NR) calibration of the new effective-one-body (EOB) model for coalescing non precessing spinning black hole binaries recently introduced by Damour and Nagar [Physical Review D 90, 044018 (2014)]. We do so by comparing the EOB predictions to both the phasing and the energetics provided by two independent sets of NR data covering mass ratios $1\leq q \leq 9.989$ and dimensionless spin range $-0.95\leq χ\leq +0.994$. One set of data is a subset of the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) catalog of public waveforms; the other set consists of new simulations obtained with the Llama code plus Cauchy Characteristic Evolution. We present the first systematic computation of the gauge-invariant relation between the binding energy and the total angular momentum, $E_{b}(j)$, for a large sample of, spin-aligned, SXS and Llama data. The dynamics of the EOB model presented here involves only two free functional parameters, one ($a_6^c(ν)$) entering the non spinning sector, as a 5PN effective correction to the interaction potential, and one ($c_3(\tilde{a}_1,\tilde{a}_2,ν))$ in the spinning sector, as an effective next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order correction to the spin-orbit coupling. These parameters are determined (together with a third functional parameter $Δt_{\rm NQC}(χ)$ entering the waveform) by comparing the EOB phasing with the SXS phasing, the consistency of the energetics being checked afterwards. The quality of the analytical model for gravitational wave data analysis purposes is assessed by computing the EOB/NR faithfulness. Over the NR data sample and when varying the total mass between 20 and 200~$M_\odot$ the EOB/NR unfaithfulness (integrated over the NR frequency range) is found to vary between $99.493\%$ and $99.984\%$ with a median value of $99.944\%$.

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arXiv2015

Minisuperspace quantum supersymmetric cosmology (and its hidden hyperbolic Kac-Moody structures)

This work summarises recent progress obtained by the mini-superpspace quantization of $\mathcal N=1$, $d=4$ supergravity, formulated in the framework of the Bianchi IX cosmological model. The emphasis is put on three main results : the completeness of the solution space obtained, the elements suggesting a hidden Kac-Moody structure of the theory and those leading to conjecture an avoidance of the cosmological singularity by some branches of the wave function of the Universe.

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arXiv2015

Confirming and improving post-Newtonian and effective-one-body results from self-force computations along eccentric orbits around a Schwarzschild black hole

We analytically compute, through the six-and-a-half post-Newtonian order, the second-order-in-eccentricity piece of the Detweiler-Barack-Sago gauge-invariant redshift function for a small mass in eccentric orbit around a Schwarzschild black hole. Using the first law of mechanics for eccentric orbits [A. Le Tiec, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 92}, 084021 (2015)] we transcribe our result into a correspondingly accurate knowledge of the second radial potential of the effective-one-body formalism [A. Buonanno and T. Damour, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 59}, 084006 (1999)]. We compare our newly acquired analytical information to several different numerical self-force data and find good agreement, within estimated error bars. We also obtain, for the first time, independent analytical checks of the recently derived, comparable-mass fourth-post-Newtonian order dynamics [T. Damour, P. Jaranowski and G. Shaefer, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 89}, 064058 (2014)].

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arXiv2015

A new effective-one-body Hamiltonian with next-to-leading order spin-spin coupling

We present a new effective-one-body (EOB) Hamiltonian with next-to-leading order (NLO) spin-spin coupling for black hole binaries endowed with arbitrarily oriented spins. The Hamiltonian is based on the model for parallel spins and equatorial orbits developed in [Physical Review D 90, 044018 (2014)], but differs from it in several ways. In particular, the NLO spin-spin coupling is not incorporated by a redefinition of the centrifugal radius $r_c$, but by separately modifying certain sectors of the Hamiltonian, which are identified according to their dependence on the momentum vector. The gauge-fixing procedure we follow allows us to reduce the 25 different terms of the NLO spin-spin Hamiltonian in Arnowitt-Deser-Misner coordinates to only 9 EOB terms. This is an improvement with respect to the EOB model recently proposed in [Physical Review D 91, 064011 (2015)], where 12 EOB terms were involved. Another important advantage is the remarkably simple momentum structure of the spin-spin terms in the effective Hamiltonian, which is simply quadratic up to an overall square root. Moreover, a Damour-Jaranowski-Schäfer-type gauge could be established, thus allowing one to concentrate, in the case of circular and equatorial orbits, the whole spin-spin interaction in a single radial potential.

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arXiv2015

Modeling the dynamics of tidally-interacting binary neutron stars up to merger

The data analysis of the gravitational wave signals emitted by coalescing neutron star binaries requires the availability of an accurate analytical representation of the dynamics and waveforms of these systems. We propose an effective-one-body (EOB) model that describes the general relativistic dynamics of neutron star binaries from the early inspiral up to merger. Our EOB model incorporates an enhanced attractive tidal potential motivated by recent analytical advances in the post-Newtonian and gravitational self-force description of relativistic tidal interactions. No fitting parameters are introduced for the description of tidal interaction in the late, strong-field dynamics. We compare the model energetics and the gravitational wave phasing with new high-resolution multi-orbit numerical relativity simulations of equal-mass configurations with different equations of state. We find agreement within the uncertainty of the numerical data for all configurations. Our model is the first semi-analytical model which captures the tidal amplification effects close to merger. It thereby provides the most accurate analytical representation of binary neutron star dynamics and waveforms currently available.

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arXiv2015

Fourth post-Newtonian effective one-body dynamics

The conservative dynamics of gravitationally interacting two-point-mass systems has been recently determined at the fourth post-Newtonian (4PN) approximation [T.Damour, P.Jaranowski, and G.Schäfer, Phys. Rev. D 89, 064058 (2014)], and found to be nonlocal in time. We show how to transcribe this dynamics within the effective one-body (EOB) formalism. To achieve this EOB transcription, we develop a new strategy involving the (infinite-)order-reduction of a nonlocal dynamics to an ordinary action-angle Hamiltonian. Our final, equivalent EOB dynamics comprises two (local) radial potentials, $A(r)$ and $\bar{D}(r)$, and a nongeodesic mass-shell contribution $Q(r,p_r)$ given by an infinite series of even powers of the radial momentum $p_r$. Using an effective action technique, we complete our 4PN-level results by deriving two different, higher-order conservative contributions linked to tail-transported hereditary effects: the 5PN-level EOB logarithmic terms, as well as the 5.5PN-level, half-integral terms. We compare our improved analytical knowledge to previous, numerical gravitational-self-force computation of precession effects.

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arXiv2015

Analytic determination of high-order post-Newtonian self-force contributions to gravitational spin precession

Continuing our analytic computation of the first-order self-force contribution to the "geodetic" spin precession frequency of a small spinning body orbiting a large (non-spinning) body we provide the exact expressions of the tenth and tenth-and-a-half post-Newtonian terms. We also introduce a new approach to the analytic computation of self-force regularization parameters based on a WKB analysis of the radial and angular equations satisfied by the metric perturbations.

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