This research is aimed at the numerical solution of Einstein's equations by supercomputer simulations. The focus is to track the coalescence and merger of binary black hole systems and to calculate the gravitational waveform emitted by such processes. These processes are primary targets for gravitational wave detectors currently under construction, like LIGO, and there is an urgent need for reliable waveforms. The numerical solution of this problem has proved to be remarkably difficult. The investigators will use a new computational technique on the problem, pseudospectral collocation. This technique has been successful in many other areas of the physical sciences, and shows great promise for numerical relativity.
The research will have a broad impact on our understanding of fundamental physics. There are currently no real tests of general relativity in the strong field regime of black holes. For experiments like LIGO to confront theory with observation, one must be able to calculate what the theory predicts. Are the black holes that LIGO may observe the black holes predicted by Einstein's theory? The research will also have an impact on the broader area of computational science. The computational techniques to be developed here can be used to solve problems in many other areas, including fluid dynamics, meteorology, seismology, and astrophysics. Young researchers trained in these techniques are in great demand.
