Binary black hole
A binary black hole is a system consisting of two black holes in close orbit around each other.
Contents
Subtypes
Subtypes include stellar binary black holes, which are remnants of high-mass binary star systems, and binary supermassive black holes, which are believed to be the result of galactic mergers.
Modelling
Some simplified algebraic models can be used for the case where the black holes are far apart, and can be applicable for the inspiral stage.
Numerical relativity models space-time and simulates its change over time.
In these calculations it is important to have enough fine detail close into the black holes, and yet have enough volume to determine the gravitation radiation that propagates to infinity.
In order to make this have few enough points to be tractable to calculation in a reasonable time, special coordinate systems can be used such as Boyer-Lindquist coordinates or fish-eye coordinates.
A helical Killing vector is a spinning vector. It can determine a spinning coordinate system which rotates with the orbiting objects, greatly reducing the rate of change due to fast moving orbital motion.
Numerical relativity techniques steadily improved from the initial attempts in the 1960s and 1970s.
Long-term simulations of orbiting black holes, however, were not possible until three groups independently developed groundbreaking new methods to model the inspiral, merger, and ringdown of binary black holes in 2005.
See also
External links
- Binary black hole @ Wikipedia
