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Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 271103 (2001) [4 pages]

3D Grazing Collision of Two Black Holes

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Miguel Alcubierre1, Werner Benger1,2, Bernd Brügmann1, Gerd Lanfermann1, Lars Nerger1, Edward Seidel1,3, and Ryoji Takahashi1
1Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm, Germany
2Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum für Informationstechnik Berlin, Takustrasse 7, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
3National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Beckman Institute, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Received 21 December 2000; revised 5 October 2001; published 13 December 2001

We present results for two colliding black holes (BHs), with angular momentum, spin, and unequal mass. For the first time, gravitational waveforms are computed for a grazing collision from a full 3D numerical evolution. The collision can be followed through the merger to form a single BH, and through part of the ringdown period of the final BH. The apparent horizon is tracked and studied, and physical parameters, such as the mass of the final BH, are computed. The total energy radiated in gravitational waves is shown to be consistent with the total initial mass of the spacetime and the apparent horizon mass of the final BH.

© 2001 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.271103
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.271103
PACS:
04.25.Dm, 04.30.Db, 95.30.Sf, 97.60.Lf