Study Shows Gravitational Waves Encode Shape of Merging Black Holes

Among the most captivating things in the universe, black holes are interesting candidates. Their surface is called the “event horizon,” and the gravity at the surface is so powerful that it does not allow even light to escape from them.

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Tau.Neutrino said:

Study Shows Gravitational Waves Encode Shape of Merging Black Holes

Among the most captivating things in the universe, black holes are interesting candidates. Their surface is called the “event horizon,” and the gravity at the surface is so powerful that it does not allow even light to escape from them.

more…

> Using numerical relativity simulations, we demonstrate a connection between a concrete observable feature in the gravitational waves and geometrical features on the dynamical apparent horizon of the final black hole. Specifically, we show how the line-of-sight passage of a “cusp”-like defect on the horizon of the final black hole correlates with “chirp”-like frequency peaks in the post-merger gravitational-waves.

OK, so a larger black hole in a merger spaghettifies the smaller one, and this could give rise to measurable distortions in the gravitational waves received by a good detector.