Gravitational Waveforms for Compact Binaries from Second-Order Self-Force Theory

We produce gravitational waveforms for nonspinning compact binaries undergoing a quasicircular inspiral. Our approach is based on a two-timescale expansion of the Einstein equations in second-order self -force theory, which allows first-principles waveform production in tens of milliseconds. Although the approach is designed for extreme mass ratios, our waveforms agree remarkably well with those from full numerical relativity, even for comparable-mass systems. Our results will be invaluable in accurately modeling extreme-mass-ratio inspirals for the LISA mission and intermediate-mass-ratio systems currently being observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration.

Automated summary

We generate gravitational waveforms for nonspinning compact binaries undergoing a quasicircular inspiral using a two-timescale expansion of the Einstein equations in second-order self-force theory. Our results demonstrate remarkable agreement with those obtained from full numerical relativity, even for comparable-mass systems, indicating the effectiveness of our approach. This research has significant implications for accurately modeling extreme-mass-ratio inspirals for the LISA mission and intermediate-mass-ratio systems currently observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration.