Most accurate simulations of colliding black holes yet
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028811
Nature : Modeling collisions of black holes is extremely complex. Most simulations simplify various parts of the systems, including the application of general relativity. Now Stuart Shapiro of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his colleagues have developed a model that fully incorporates general relativity, allowing for the most in-depth three-dimensional rendering of black hole collisions yet. Shapiro’s team was able to couple Einstein’s equations with the equations that represent the motion of matter moving at a large fraction of the speed of light in a magnetic field. The new simulations are well-timed because recent observations suggest that the two black holes assumed to be present in the system PSO J334.2028+01.4075 are likely to merge in the next seven years.
