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Phys. Rev. D 76, 081501(R) (2007) [5 pages]

Quasilocal linear momentum in black-hole binaries

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Badri Krishnan1, Carlos O. Lousto2, and Yosef Zlochower2
1Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm, Germany
2Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, 78 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, New York 14623, USA

Received 6 July 2007; published 11 October 2007

We propose a quasilocal formula for the linear momentum of black-hole horizons inspired by the formalism of quasilocal horizons. We test this formula using two complementary configurations: (i) by calculating the large orbital linear momentum of the two black holes in an unequal-mass, zero-spin, quasicircular binary and (ii) by calculating the very small recoil momentum imparted to the remnant of the head-on collision of an equal-mass, anti-aligned-spin binary. We obtain results consistent with the horizon trajectory in the orbiting case, and consistent with the net radiated linear momentum for the much smaller head-on recoil velocity.

© 2007 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevD.76.081501
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevD.76.081501
PACS:
04.25.Dm, 04.25.Nx, 04.30.Db, 04.70.Bw