Coalescence of Binary Black Holes and Neutron Stars: Computational Contributions to LIGO

黑洞和中子星双星最终的碰撞和合并形成的引力波是LIGO和其他引力波干涉仪的主要目标。这些波形只能通过大规模的数值计算来预测。在成功模拟紧凑双星并合之前，重要的理论和算法问题仍有待解决。在没有特殊对称性假设的情况下，需要一个在三维空间中演化爱因斯坦方程的代码来产生二元聚并模拟。这个代码必须稳定和准确。实现稳定性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进展。演化中子星需要将物质源整合到爱因斯坦方程求解器中，并开发稳定而准确的方法来演化物质。托马斯·鲍姆加特和斯图尔特·夏皮罗将构建这样一个代码来解决合并紧双星的问题，以共生的方式将理论和计算结合起来，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. 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. Evolving neutron stars requires incorporating matter sources into the Einstein equation solver and developing stable and accurate methods for evolving the matter.Thomas Baumgarte and Stuart Shapiro 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.