Spin-orbit interactions in black-hole binaries

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  • 13 August 2006
Abstract
We perform numerical simulations of black-hole binaries to study the exchange of spin and orbital angular momentum during the last, highly nonlinear, stages of the coalescence process. To calculate the transfer of angular momentum from orbital to spin, we start with a configuration of initially non-spinning holes in a quasicircular orbit. We find that each individual black hole horizon acquires a non-vanishing spin and that this spin is two orders of magnitude smaller than what is needed to tidally lock the binary into a corotation state. We also study the converse transfer from spin into orbital motion. In this case, we start the simulations with parallel, highly-spinning non-boosted black holes. As the collision proceeds, the system acquires a non-head-on orbital motion, due to spin-orbit coupling, that leads to the radiation of angular momentum. We are able to accurately measure the energy and angular momentum losses and model their dependence on the initial spins.

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