Compact Binary Mergers as Multimessenger Sources of Gravitational Waves

Stuart Shapiro, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, speaks at the Kavli Foundation plenary session at the APS April Meeting 2015.

Abstract
On the centennial anniversary of Einstein's theory of general relativity, we are on the verge of directly detecting one of its most remarkable predictions -- gravitational waves (GWs). The inspiral and merger of compact binaries -- binaries with black hole, neutron star or white dwarf companions -- are among the most promising sources of GWs. Many of these sources are likely to generate observable electromagnetic (EM) and/or neutrino counterparts to the GWs, constituting a major advance in multimessenger astronomy. By way of illustration, we describe recent magnetohydrodynamic simulations in general relativity (GRMHD) that show how black hole-neutron star mergers can launch jets, lending support to the idea that such mergers could be the engines that power short-hard gamma-ray bursts. We also discuss other recent GRMHD simulations that show how an inspiraling, supermassive binary black hole in a galaxy core stirs and accretes magnetized plasma that orbits the holes in a circumbinary disk. This process can generate ``precursor'' and ``aftermath'' EM radiation with respect to the peak GW emission at merger. Computer-generated movies highlighting some of these simulations will be shown.