General Relativistic Dynamics of an Extreme Mass-Ratio Binary interacting with an External Body

We study the dynamics of a hierarchical three-body system in the general-relativistic regime: an extreme mass-ratio inner binary under the tidal influence of an external body. The inner binary consists of a central Schwarzschild black hole and a compact test body moving around it (outer binary). We discover three types of tidal effects on the orbit of the test body. First, the angular moment of the inner binary precesses around the angular momentum of the outer binary. Second, the tidal field drives a "transient resonance" when the radial and azimuthal frequencies are commensurate with each other. In contrast with resonances driven by the gravitational self-force, this tidal-driven resonance may boost the orbital angular momentum. Finally, as an orbit-dynamical effect during the non-resonant phase, we calculate the correction to the Innermost Stable Circular (mean) Orbit (ISCO) due to the tidal interaction. Hierarchical three-body systems are potential sources for future space-based gravitational wave missions and the tidal effects that we find could contribute significantly to their waveform.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, published versio

Plasma-wave generation in a dynamic spacetime

We propose a new electromagnetic-emission mechanism in magnetized, force-free plasma, which is driven by the evolution of the underlying dynamic spacetime. In particular, the emission power and angular distribution of the emitted fast-magnetosonic and Alfv\'en waves are separately determined. Previous numerical simulations of binary black hole mergers occurring within magnetized plasma have recorded copious amounts of electromagnetic radiation that, in addition to collimated jets, include an unexplained, isotropic component which becomes dominant close to merger. This raises the possibility of multimessenger gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations on binary black hole systems. The mechanism proposed here provides a candidate analytical characterization of the numerical results, and when combined with previously understood mechanisms such as the Blandford-Znajek process and kinetic-motion-driven radiation, allows us to construct a classification of different electromagnetic radiation components seen in the inspiral stage of compact-binary coalescences.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, published versio