When Black Holes Collide
Video Credit & Copyright:
Simulating Extreme Spacetimes
Collaboration
What happens when two black holes collide?
This extreme scenario likely occurs in the centers of some merging galaxies and multiple star systems.
The featured video
shows a computer animation of the final stages of such a merger, while highlighting the
gravitational lensing
effects that would appear on a background
starfield.
The black regions indicate the
event horizons of the
dynamic duo,
while a surrounding ring of shifting background stars indicates the position of their combined
Einstein ring.
All background stars not only have
images visible outside of this
Einstein ring,
but also have one or more companion images visible on the inside.
Eventually the two black holes
coalesce.
The end stages of such a merger may provide a strong and predictable blast of
gravitational radiation,
a much sought after form of radiation
different than light that has never yet been directly observed.