A recent study from Humboldt University of Berlin and Queen Mary University of London has achieved a new level of precision in modeling black hole and neutron star collisions. This breakthrough significantly enhances our ability to understand gravitational waves.
The team's advanced techniques, drawing from quantum field theory, have allowed them to calculate the fifth post-Minkowskian (5PM) order for observables like scattering angles, radiated energy, and recoil. A surprising outcome of this research is the emergence of Calabi-Yau three-fold periods, geometric structures typically associated with string theory and algebraic geometry, in the context of radiative energy and recoil. These mathematical constructs are now demonstrating relevance in describing real astrophysical phenomena.
With gravitational wave observatories like LIGO improving in sensitivity and next-generation detectors such as LISA on the horizon, the demand for highly accurate theoretical models is growing. According to Dr. Gustav Mogull from Queen Mary University London, the mathematical and computational precision needed for studying the interaction and scattering of black holes via gravity is immense. Benjamin Sauer, a PhD candidate at Humboldt University of Berlin, notes that the appearance of Calabi-Yau geometries enhances our understanding of the interplay between mathematics and physics and will improve the models used to interpret observational data in gravitational wave astronomy. The study was published in the journal Nature on May 14, 2025.