Gravitational waveforms for compact binaries from second-order self-force theory

Abstract

We produce gravitational waveforms for nonspinning compact binaries undergoing a quasicircular inspiral. Our approach is based on a two-timescale expansion of the Einstein equations in second-order self-force theory, which allows first-principles waveform production in tens of milliseconds. Although the approach is designed for extreme mass ratios, our waveforms agree remarkably well with those from full numerical relativity, even for comparable-mass systems. Our results will be invaluable in accurately modelling extreme-mass-ratio inspirals for the LISA mission and intermediate-mass-ratio systems currently being observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration.