Search results for "diffraction: model"

Airy-function approach to binary black hole merger waveforms: The fold-caustic diffraction model

2022

From numerical simulations of the Einstein equations, and also from gravitational wave observations, the gravitational wave signal from a binary black hole merger is seen to be simple and to possess certain universal features. The simplicity is somewhat surprising given that non-linearities of general relativity are thought to play an important role at the merger. The universal features include an increasing amplitude as we approach the merger, where transition from an oscillatory to a damped regime occurs in a pattern apparently oblivious to the initial conditions. We propose an Airy-function pattern to model the binary black hole (BBH) merger waveform, focusing on accounting for its simpl…