title: Periastron advance in black-hole binaries.
abstract: The general relativistic (Mercury-type) periastron advance is calculated here for the first time with exquisite precision in full general relativity. We use accurate numerical relativity simulations of spinless black-hole binaries with mass ratios 1/8≤m(1)/m(2)≤1 and compare with the predictions of several analytic approximation schemes. We find the effective-one-body model to be remarkably accurate and, surprisingly, so also the predictions of self-force theory [replacing m(1)/m(2)→m(1)m(2)/(m(1)+m(2))(2)]. Our results can inform a universal analytic model of the two-body dynamics, crucial for ongoing and future gravitational-wave searches.
authors: Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics and Joint Space-Science Institute, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Le Tiec
authors: Abdul H
authors: AH
authors: Mroué
authors: Leor
authors: L
authors: Barack
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Buonanno
authors: Harald P
authors: HP
authors: Pfeiffer
authors: Norichika
authors: N
authors: Sago
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Taracchini