Coalescence of Binary Black Holes: Computational Contributions to LIGO

LIGO和其他引力波干涉仪的主要目标是黑洞和中子星双星的最终俯冲和合并形成的引力波。这些波形只能通过大规模的数值计算来预测。如果这些模拟波形要及时提供给LIGO社区，现在必须继续进行大量的计算工作。这样的努力超出了单一研究人员项目的范围，需要一个专门的研究团队之间的合作。在成功模拟紧凑的二进制合并之前，重要的理论和算法问题仍有待解决。需要一个在三个空间维度中发展爱因斯坦方程的代码，并且不假定有特殊的对称性，以产生双星合并模拟。此代码必须稳定和准确。要实现稳定性，就需要在理解时空动态演化时演化方案如何与边界条件相互作用方面取得理论上的进步。这将需要开发坐标标尺选择，以确保坐标不会表现出病态行为。演化的中子星需要将物质源纳入爱因斯坦方程解算器，并开发稳定而准确的物质演化方法。库克博士将构建这样一个代码来解决合并紧凑双星的问题，以共生的方式将理论和计算结合在一起，以尽可能快的速度实现产生引力波的目标。

Gravitational wave forms from the final plunge and coalescence of black-hole and neutron-star binaries are primary targets for LIGO and other gravitational wave interferometers. These wave forms can only be predicted by large-scale numerical computations. If such simulated wave forms are to be made available to the LIGO community in a timely fashion, a significant effort to compute them must be continued now. Such an effort is beyond the scope of a single-investigator project, and requires a collaboration among a dedicated team of researchers. Important theoretical and algorithmic issues remain to be solved before successful simulations of compact binary mergers can be achieved. A code for evolving Einstein's equations in three spatial dimensions and with no special symmetries assumed is needed to produce binary coalescence simulations. This code must be stable and accurate. Achieving stability will require theoretical advances in understanding how evolution schemes interact with boundary conditions when the spacetime is evolving dynamically. It will require the development of coordinate gauge choices that ensure that the coordinates do not behave pathologically. Evolving neutron stars require incorporating matter sources into the Einstein equation solver and developing stable and accurate methods for evolving the matter. Dr. Cook will construct such a code to solve the problem of coalescing compact binaries, combining theory and computation in a symbiotic fashion to make the most rapid progress possible toward the goal of producing gravitational wave forms.