"The Carter constant for inclined orbits about a massive Kerr black hol" by Sree Ram Valluri, Peter Komorowski et al.

Physics and Astronomy Publications

Title

The Carter constant for inclined orbits about a massive Kerr black hole: near-circular, near-polar orbits

Authors

Sree Ram Valluri, University of Western OntarioFollow
Peter Komorowski, University of Western OntarioFollow
Martin Houde, University of Western OntarioFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Journal

Central European Journal of Physics

Volume

Issue

First Page

799

Last Page

820

Abstract

In an extreme mass-ratio binary black hole system, a non-equatorial orbit will list (i.e. increase its angle of inclination, iota) as it evolves in Kerr spacetime. The abutment, a set of evolving, near-polar, retrograde orbits, for which the instantaneous Carter constant (Q) is at its maximum value (Q_X) for given values of latus rectum (˜l) and eccentricity (e), has been introduced as a laboratory in which the consistency of dQ/dt with corresponding evolution equations for d˜l/dt and de/dt might be tested independently of a specific radiation back-reaction model. To demonstrate the use of the abutment as such a laboratory, a derivation of dQ/dt, based only on published formulae for d˜l/dt and de/dt, was performed for elliptical orbits on the abutment. The resulting expression for dQ/dt matched the published result to the second order in e. We believe the abutment is a potentially useful tool for improving the accuracy of evolution equations to higher orders of e and˜l−1.

Citation of this paper:

P. G. Komorowski, S.R. Valluri and M. Houde, "The Carter constant for inclined orbits about a massive Kerr black hole: near-circular, near-polar orbits", Central European Journal of Physics, in Press (2012).

The Carter Constant for Inclined Orbits About a Massive Kerr Black Hole- near-circular, near-polar orbits.pdf (562 kB)

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