QSimFP QBH Seminar: Nonlinear effects in the black hole ringdown

Abstract:
When a binary merges to form a single black hole, the merger product emits a final burst of gravitational waves known as the “ringdown”. Ringdowns are currently being observed with LIGO and Virgo, and will be even stronger in future detectors like the Einstein Telescope or LISA. Observations of black hole ringdowns can be used to characterize binary merger remnants, and are particularly suited to test general relativity.
So far, analyses of the ringdown have assumed linear black hole perturbation theory. In this talk, I will explore nonlinear effects during the ringdown, which could potentially spoil (or enhance) ringdown analysis. I will use numerical and analytic techniques to explore nonlinear effects both in a toy model (in anti-de Sitter), and then in asymptotically-flat black holes. I will conclude with some open problems in understanding the ringdown at nonlinear level, which could be an interesting avenue for analog experiments.

Bio:
Laura Sberna is currently a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam, Germany. Besides the black hole ringdown, she is interested in the interplay between astrophysical environments and gravitational wave sources. Laura obtained her PhD at Perimeter Institute, Canada, under the supervision of Neil Turok.