Harald Pfeiffer
YOU?
Author Swipe
Black-hole scattering with numerical relativity: Self-force extraction and post-Minkowskian validation Open
The asymptotic nature of unbound binary-black-hole encounters provides a clean method for comparing different approaches for modeling the two-body problem in general relativity. In this work, we use numerical relativity simulations of blac…
Highly accurate simulations of asymmetric black-hole scattering and cross validation of effective-one-body models Open
The study of unbound binary–black-hole encounters provides a gauge-invariant approach to exploring strong-field gravitational interactions in two-body systems, which can subsequently inform waveform models for bound orbits. In this work, w…
View article: Late-Time Tails in Nonlinear Evolutions of Merging Black Holes
Late-Time Tails in Nonlinear Evolutions of Merging Black Holes Open
We uncover late-time gravitational-wave tails in fully nonlinear 3+1 dimensional numerical relativity simulations of merging black holes, using the highly accurate p code. We achieve this result by exploiting the strong magnification of la…
View article: A comprehensive look into the accuracy of SpEC binary black hole waveforms
A comprehensive look into the accuracy of SpEC binary black hole waveforms Open
Numerical relativity simulations provide a full description of the dynamics of binary systems, including gravitational radiation. The waveforms produced by these simulations have a number of applications in gravitational-wave detection and…
View article: Biased parameter inference of eccentric, spin-precessing binary black holes
Biased parameter inference of eccentric, spin-precessing binary black holes Open
While the majority of gravitational wave (GW) events observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors are consistent with mergers of binary black holes (BBHs) on quasi-circular orbits, some events are also consistent with non-zero orbital eccentri…
View article: Error quantification and comparison of binary neutron star gravitational waveforms from numerical relativity codes
Error quantification and comparison of binary neutron star gravitational waveforms from numerical relativity codes Open
Future gravitational wave detections of merging binary neutron star systems have the possibility to tightly constrain the equation of state of dense nuclear matter. In order to extract such constraints, gravitational waveform models need t…
Ringdown spectroscopy of phenomenologically modified black holes Open
The characteristic oscillations of black holes, as described by their quasinormal mode spectrum, play a fundamental role in testing general relativity with gravitational waves. The so-called parametrized QNM framework was introduced to pre…
View article: Defining eccentricity for spin-precessing binaries
Defining eccentricity for spin-precessing binaries Open
Standardizing the definition of eccentricity is necessary for unambiguous inference of the orbital eccentricity of compact binaries from gravitational wave observations. In previous works, we proposed a definition of eccentricity for syste…
Parameter control for binary black hole initial data Open
When numerically solving Einstein's equations for binary black holes (BBH), we must find initial data on a three-dimensional spatial slice by solving constraint equations. The construction of initial data is a multi-step process, in which …
View article: The SXS collaboration’s third catalog of binary black hole simulations
The SXS collaboration’s third catalog of binary black hole simulations Open
We present a major update to the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXSs) Collaboration’s catalog of binary black hole (BBH) simulations. Using highly efficient spectral methods implemented in the Spectral Einstein Code ( SpEC ), we have nearl…
Emergent Turbulence in Nonlinear Gravity Open
Gravity in nonlinear and dynamical regimes underpins spectacular astrophysical phenomena and observable consequences, from the early universe to black hole collisions. In these extreme environments, inverse energy cascades - mediated by no…
View article: Accurate waveforms for eccentric, aligned-spin binary black holes: The multipolar effective-one-body model seobnrv5ehm
Accurate waveforms for eccentric, aligned-spin binary black holes: The multipolar effective-one-body model seobnrv5ehm Open
The measurement of orbital eccentricity in gravitational-wave (GW) signals will provide unique insights into the astrophysical origin of binary systems, while ignoring eccentricity in waveform models could introduce significant biases in p…
View article: Robustness of extracting quasinormal mode information from black hole merger simulations
Robustness of extracting quasinormal mode information from black hole merger simulations Open
In linear perturbation theory, the ringdown of a gravitational wave (GW) signal is described by a linear combination of quasinormal modes (QNMs). Detecting QNMs from GW signals is a promising way to test GR, central to the developing field…
View article: Impact of eccentricity and mean anomaly in numerical relativity mergers
Impact of eccentricity and mean anomaly in numerical relativity mergers Open
Accurate modelling of black hole (BH) binaries is critical to achieve the science goals of gravitational-wave detectors. Modelling such configurations relies strongly on calibration to numerical-relativity (NR) simulations. Binaries on qua…
Relieving Scale Disparity in Binary Black Hole Simulations Open
is a method of reducing computational burden in numerical relativity simulations of binary black holes in situations where there is a good analytical model of the geometry around (one or both of) the objects. Two such scenarios of relevanc…
Relieving Scale Disparity in Binary Black Hole Simulations Open
is a method of reducing computational burden in numerical relativity simulations of binary black holes in situations where there is a good analytical model of the geometry around (one or both of) the objects. Two such scenarios of relevanc…
Signatures from metastable oppositely-charged black hole binaries in scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity Open
We conduct numerical simulations of inspiraling, oppositely-charged black holes in the class of scalar-Gauss-Bonnet theories that exhibit spontaneous black hole scalarization. For quasi-circular, equal-mass binaries near the existence thre…
View article: Length dependence of waveform mismatch: a caveat on waveform accuracy
Length dependence of waveform mismatch: a caveat on waveform accuracy Open
The Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes Collaboration’s code SpEC can now routinely simulate binary black hole mergers undergoing orbits, with the longest simulations undergoing nearly orbits. While this sounds impressive, the mismatch between t…
View article: Length dependence of waveform mismatch: a caveat on waveform accuracy
Length dependence of waveform mismatch: a caveat on waveform accuracy Open
The Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes Collaboration's code SpEC can now routinely simulate binary black hole mergers undergoing $\sim25$ orbits, with the longest simulations undergoing nearly $\sim180$ orbits. While this sounds impressive, the…
Quasistationary hair for binary black hole initial data in scalar Gauss-Bonnet gravity Open
Recent efforts to numerically simulate compact objects in alternative theories of gravity have largely focused on the time-evolution equations. Another critical aspect is the construction of constraint-satisfying initial data with precise …
View article: Accurate waveforms for eccentric, aligned-spin binary black holes: The multipolar effective-one-body model SEOBNRv5EHM
Accurate waveforms for eccentric, aligned-spin binary black holes: The multipolar effective-one-body model SEOBNRv5EHM Open
The measurement of orbital eccentricity in gravitational-wave (GW) signals will provide unique insights into the astrophysical origin of binary systems, while ignoring eccentricity in waveform models could introduce significant biases in p…
View article: Simulating binary black hole mergers using discontinuous Galerkin methods
Simulating binary black hole mergers using discontinuous Galerkin methods Open
Binary black holes are the most abundant source of gravitational-wave observations. Gravitational-wave observatories in the next decade will require tremendous increases in the accuracy of numerical waveforms modeling binary black holes, c…
View article: Late-time tails in nonlinear evolutions of merging black holes
Late-time tails in nonlinear evolutions of merging black holes Open
We uncover late-time gravitational-wave tails in fully nonlinear 3+1 dimensional numerical relativity simulations of merging black holes, using the highly accurate SpEC code. We achieve this result by exploiting the strong magnification of…
View article: Overtones and Nonlinearities in Binary Black Hole Ringdowns
Overtones and Nonlinearities in Binary Black Hole Ringdowns Open
Using high-accuracy numerical relativity waveforms, we confirm the presence of numerous overtones of the $\ell=2$, $m=2$ quasinormal mode early in the ringdown of binary black hole mergers. We do this by demonstrating the stability of the …
View article: Binary neutron star mergers using a discontinuous Galerkin-finite difference hybrid method
Binary neutron star mergers using a discontinuous Galerkin-finite difference hybrid method Open
We present a discontinuous Galerkin-finite difference hybrid scheme that allows high-order shock capturing with the discontinuous Galerkin method for general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics in dynamical spacetimes. We present several opt…
Robustness of neutron star merger simulations to changes in neutrino transport and neutrino-matter interactions Open
Binary neutron star mergers play an important role in nuclear astrophysics: Their gravitational wave and electromagnetic signals carry information about the equation of state of cold matter above nuclear saturation density, and they may be…
Worldtube excision method for intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals: Self-consistent evolution in a scalar-charge model Open
This is a third installment in a program to develop a method for alleviating the scale disparity in binary black hole simulations with mass ratios in the intermediate astrophysical range, where simulation cost is prohibitive while purely p…
View article: A review of gravitational memory and BMS frame fixing in numerical relativity
A review of gravitational memory and BMS frame fixing in numerical relativity Open
Gravitational memory effects and the BMS freedoms exhibited at future null infinity have recently been resolved and utilized in numerical relativity simulations. With this, gravitational wave models and our understanding of the fundamental…
Parameter control for eccentric, precessing binary black hole simulations with SpEC Open
Numerical relativity simulations of merging black holes provide the most accurate description of the binary dynamics and the emitted gravitational wave signal. However, practical considerations such as imperfect initial data and initial pa…