LIGO Document T1600279-v6

Measuring Kerrness in Binary Black Hole Simulation Ringdowns

Document #:
LIGO-T1600279-v6
Document type:
T - Technical notes
Other Versions:
Abstract:
After a single black hole forms from the merger of a black hole binary, it enters the ringdown phase, radiating away energy in gravitational waves until it settles into a stationary Kerr black hole. However, the point at which the resultant spacetime becomes close to Kerr has not yet been established. Furthermore, how close to the merger phase in a gravitational waveform can LIGO apply data analysis techniques that assume that the remnant black hole is Kerr (or a perturbation thereof)? In order to address these questions, it is helpful to consider local quantities which measure the similarity of a spacetime to Kerr. We evaluate several local measures of “Kerrness” on volume data from the ringdown phase of a binary black hole simulation of the GW150914 event using the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC). We also evaluate these quantities on single (Kerr) black hole simulations for validation.
Files in Document:
Other Files:
Keywords:
SURF16

DCC Version 3.4.3, contact Document Database Administrators