Abstract
We model the inspiral of a compact object into a more massive black hole rotating very near the theoretical maximum. We find that once the body enters the near-horizon regime the gravitational radiation is characterized by a constant frequency, equal to (twice) the horizon frequency, with an exponentially damped profile. This contrasts with the usual 'chirping' behavior and, if detected, would constitute a 'smoking gun' for a near-extremal black hole in nature.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 155002 |
Journal | Classical and Quantum Gravity |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 15 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 5 2016 |
Keywords
- black holes
- extremal spin
- gravitational waves
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)