Self-Consistent Modeling of Gravitational Theories beyond General Relativity.

The majority of extensions to general relativity (GR) display mathematical pathologies-higher derivatives, character change in equations that can be classified within partial differential equation theory, and even unclassifiable ones-that cause severe difficulties to study them, especially in dynamical regimes. We present here an approach that enables their consistent treatment and extraction of physical consequences. We illustrate this method in the context of single and merging black holes in a highly challenging beyond GR theory.

Critical Collapse of a Scalar Field in Semiclassical Loop Quantum Gravity.

We study the collapse in spherical symmetry of a massless scalar field minimally coupled to gravity using the semiclassical equations that are expected from loop quantum gravity. We find the critical behavior of the mass as a function of the parameters of the initial data similar to that found by Choptuik in classical general relativity for a large set of initial data and values of the polymerization parameter. Contrary to wide expectations for quantum gravity, our semiclassical field equations have an exact scale invariance, as do the classical field equations. As one would then expect, we numerically find that the phase transition is second order: again, as in the classical case.

End Point of the Ultraspinning Instability and Violation of Cosmic Censorship.

We determine the end point of the axisymmetric ultraspinning instability of asymptotically flat Myers-Perry black holes in D=6 spacetime dimensions. In the nonlinear regime, this instability gives rise to a sequence of concentric rings connected by segments of black membrane on the rotation plane. The latter become thinner over time, resulting in the formation of a naked singularity in finite asymptotic time and hence a violation of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture in asymptotically flat higher-dimensional spaces.

Black Hole Spectroscopy with Coherent Mode Stacking.

The measurement of multiple ringdown modes in gravitational waves from binary black hole mergers will allow for testing the fundamental properties of black holes in general relativity and to constrain modified theories of gravity. To enhance the ability of Advanced LIGO/Virgo to perform such tasks, we propose a coherent mode stacking method to search for a chosen target mode within a collection of multiple merger events. We first rescale each signal so that the target mode in each of them has the same frequency and then sum the waveforms constructively. A crucial element to realize this coherent superposition is to make use of a priori information extracted from the inspiral-merger phase of each event. To illustrate the method, we perform a study with simulated events targeting the ℓ=m=3 ringdown mode of the remnant black holes. We show that this method can significantly boost the signal-to-noise ratio of the collective target mode compared to that of the single loudest event. Using current estimates of merger rates, we show that it is likely that advanced-era detectors can measure this collective ringdown mode with one year of coincident data gathered at design sensitivity.

Nonlinear Evolution and Final Fate of Charged Anti-de Sitter Black Hole Superradiant Instability.

We describe the full nonlinear development of the superradiant instability for a charged massless scalar field coupled to general relativity and electromagnetism, in the vicinity of a Reissner-Nordström-anti-de Sitter black hole. The presence of the negative cosmological constant provides a natural context for considering perfectly reflecting boundary conditions and studying the dynamics as the scalar field interacts repeatedly with the black hole. At early times, small superradiant perturbations grow as expected from linearized studies. Backreaction then causes the black hole to lose charge and mass until the perturbation becomes nonsuperradiant, with the final state described by a stable hairy black hole. For large gauge coupling, the instability extracts a large amount of charge per unit mass, resulting in greater entropy increase. We discuss the implications of the observed behavior for the general problem of superradiance in black hole spacetimes.

Turbulent black holes.

We demonstrate that rapidly spinning black holes can display a new type of nonlinear parametric instability-which is triggered above a certain perturbation amplitude threshold-akin to the onset of turbulence, with possibly observable consequences. This instability transfers from higher temporal and azimuthal spatial frequencies to lower frequencies-a phenomenon reminiscent of the inverse cascade displayed by (2+1)-dimensional fluids. Our finding provides evidence for the onset of transitory turbulence in astrophysical black holes and predicts observable signatures in black hole binaries with high spins. Furthermore, it gives a gravitational description of this behavior which, through the fluid-gravity duality, can potentially shed new light on the remarkable phenomena of turbulence in fluids.

Holographic thermalization, stability of anti-de sitter space, and the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam paradox.

For a real massless scalar field in general relativity with a negative cosmological constant, we uncover a large class of spherically symmetric initial conditions that are close to anti-de Sitter space (AdS) but whose numerical evolution does not result in black hole formation. According to the AdS/conformal field theory (CFT) dictionary, these bulk solutions are dual to states of a strongly interacting boundary CFT that fail to thermalize at late times. Furthermore, as these states are not stationary, they define dynamical CFT configurations that do not equilibrate. We develop a two-time-scale perturbative formalism that captures both direct and inverse cascades of energy and agrees with our fully nonlinear evolutions in the appropriate regime. We also show that this formalism admits a large class of quasiperiodic solutions. Finally, we demonstrate a striking parallel between the dynamics of AdS and the classic Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou problem.

Boosting jet power in black hole spacetimes.

The extraction of rotational energy from a spinning black hole via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism has long been understood as an important component in models to explain energetic jets from compact astrophysical sources. Here we show more generally that the kinetic energy of the black hole, both rotational and translational, can be tapped, thereby producing even more luminous jets powered by the interaction of the black hole with its surrounding plasma. We study the resulting Poynting jet that arises from single boosted black holes and binary black hole systems. In the latter case, we find that increasing the orbital angular momenta of the system and/or the spins of the individual black holes results in an enhanced Poynting flux.

Electromagnetic and gravitational outputs from binary-neutron-star coalescence.

The late stage of an inspiraling neutron-star binary gives rise to strong gravitational wave emission due to its highly dynamic, strong gravity. Moreover, interactions between the stellar magnetospheres can produce considerable electromagnetic radiation. We study this scenario using fully general relativistic, resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We show that these interactions extract kinetic energy from the system, dissipate heat, and power radiative Poynting flux, as well as develop current sheets. Our results indicate that this power can (i) outshine pulsars in binaries, (ii) display a distinctive angular- and time-dependent pattern, and (iii) radiate within large opening angles. These properties suggest that some binary neutron-star mergers are ideal candidates for multimessenger astronomy.

Black strings, low viscosity fluids, and violation of cosmic censorship.

We describe the behavior of 5-dimensional black strings, subject to the Gregory-Laflamme instability. Beyond the linear level, the evolving strings exhibit a rich dynamics, where at intermediate stages the horizon can be described as a sequence of 3-dimensional spherical black holes joined by black string segments. These segments are themselves subject to a Gregory-Laflamme instability, resulting in a self-similar cascade, where ever-smaller satellite black holes form connected by ever-thinner string segments. This behavior is akin to satellite formation in low-viscosity fluid streams subject to the Rayleigh-Plateau instability. The simulation results imply that the string segments will reach zero radius in finite asymptotic time, whence the classical space-time terminates in a naked singularity. Since no fine-tuning is required to excite the instability, this constitutes a generic violation of cosmic censorship.

Mergers of magnetized neutron stars with spinning black holes: disruption, accretion, and fallback.

We investigate the merger of a neutron star in orbit about a spinning black hole in full general relativity with a mass ratio of 5:1, allowing the star to have an initial magnetization of 10(12) G. We present the resulting gravitational waveform and analyze the fallback accretion as the star is disrupted. We see no significant dynamical effects in the simulations or changes in the gravitational waveform resulting from the initial magnetization. We find that only a negligible amount of matter becomes unbound; 99% of the neutron star material has a fallback time of 10 seconds or shorter to reach the region of the central engine and that 99.99% of the star will interact with the central disk and black hole within 3 hours.

Dual jets from binary black holes.

The coalescence of supermassive black holes--a natural outcome when galaxies merge--should produce gravitational waves and would likely be associated with energetic electromagnetic events. We have studied the coalescence of such binary black holes within an external magnetic field produced by the expected circumbinary disk surrounding them. Solving the Einstein equations to describe black holes interacting with surrounding plasma, we present numerical evidence for possible jets driven by these systems. Extending the process described by Blandford and Znajek for a single, spinning black hole, the picture that emerges suggests that the electromagnetic field extracts energy from the orbiting black holes, which ultimately merge and settle into the standard Blandford-Znajek scenario. Emissions along these jets could potentially be observable at large distances.

Binary black holes' effects on electromagnetic fields.

In addition to producing gravitational waves, the dynamics of a binary black hole system could induce emission of electromagnetic radiation by affecting the behavior of plasmas and electromagnetic fields in their vicinity. We here study how the electromagnetic fields are affected by a pair of orbiting black holes through the merger. In particular, we show how the binary's dynamics induce a variability in possible electromagnetically induced emissions as well as a possible enhancement of electromagnetic fields during the late-merge and merger epochs. These time dependent features will likely leave their imprint in processes generating detectable emissions and can be exploited in the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves.

Magnetized neutron-star mergers and gravitational-wave signals.

We investigate the influence of magnetic fields upon the dynamics of, and resulting gravitational waves from, a binary neutron-star merger in full general relativity coupled to ideal magnetohydrodynamics. We consider two merger scenarios: one where the stars have aligned poloidal magnetic fields and one without. Both mergers result in a strongly differentially rotating object. In comparison to the nonmagnetized scenario, the aligned magnetic fields delay the full merger of the stars. During and after merger we observe phenomena driven by the magnetic field, including Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in shear layers, winding of the field lines, and transition from poloidal to toroidal magnetic fields. These effects not only mediate the production of electromagnetic radiation, but also can have a strong influence on the gravitational waves. Thus, there are promising prospects for studying such systems with both types of waves.