1998/12/31 by Jean-Pierre De Villiers, Valeri Frolov · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0264-9381/16/7/317
published as Class.Quant.Grav. 16 (1999) 2403-2425 · 31 pages, 11 figures. Paper revised with referee comments. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravity
openalex publication_date 1999/01/01 · arxiv created 1999/04/28 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
This paper discusses the gravitational scattering of a straight, infinitely long test cosmic string by a black hole. We present numerical results that probe the two-dimensional parameter space of impact parameter and initial velocity and compare them to approximate perturbative solutions derived previously. We analyse string scattering and coil formation in the ultra-relativistic regime and compare these results with analytical results for string scattering by a gravitational shock wave. Special attention is paid to regimes where the string approaches the black hole at near-critical impact parameters. The dynamics of string scattering in this case are highly sensitive to initial data and transient phenomena arise while portions of the string dwell in the strong gravitational field near the event horizon of the black hole. The role of string tension is also investigated by comparing the scattering of a cosmic string to the scattering of a tensionless `dust' string. Finally, the problem of string capture is revisited in light of these new results, and a capture curve covering the entire velocity range (0< v c ) is given.