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) |
|---|---|
| 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)