Ringing Black Hole Animation

Visualization of a binary black hole merger consistent with the gravitational-wave event called GW250114. The first part of the animation shows the inspiral and merger of the two black holes, with a representation of the gravitational waves emitted in the equatorial plane. The remnant black hole formed by the merger is initially strongly distorted as emphasized by its shading.

The animation continues a few milliseconds into the ringdown phase. At that point the gravitational waves are separated into the two modes of the ringing remnant black hole that were identified in the GW250114 observation: the quadrupolar fundamental mode (labeled "First tone") and its first overtone ("Second tone”). It also shows a predicted third tone that the data place limits on. The detected tones have a quadrupole pattern, while the third tone has a hexadecapolar pattern. As the animation proceeds, the ringdown gravitational waves travel away, leaving behind a quiescent black hole.

Visualization performed at the Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), based on a numerical relativity simulation of the Simulating Extreme Spacetimes (SXS) Project.

Visualization also available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh0u5NdIp7w

Credit: H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), K. Mitman (Cornell University)