Faithful analytical effective-one-body waveform model for spin-aligned, moderately eccentric, coalescing black hole binaries

Abstract

We present a new effective-one-body (EOB) model for eccentric binary coalescences. The model stems from the state-of-the-art model TEOBiResumS_SM for circularized coalescing black-hole binaries, that is modified to explicitly incorporate eccentricity effects both in the radiation reaction and in the waveform. Using Regge-Wheeler-Zerilli-type calculations of the gravitational wave losses as benchmarks, we find that a rather accurate ($\ensuremath{\sim}1%$) expression for the radiation reaction along mildly eccentric orbits ($e\ensuremath{\sim}0.3$) is given by dressing the current, EOB-resummed, circularized angular momentum flux, with a leading-order (Newtonian-like) prefactor valid along general orbits. An analogous approach is implemented for the waveform multipoles. The model is then completed by the usual merger-ringdown part informed by circularized numerical relativity (NR) simulations. The model is validated against the 22, publicly available, NR simulations calculated by the Simulating eXtreme Spacetime (SXS) Collaboration, with mild eccentricities, mass ratios between 1 and 3, and up to rather large dimensionless spin values ($\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7$). The maximum EOB/NR unfaithfulness, calculated with Advanced LIGO noise, is at most of order 3%. The analytical framework presented here should be seen as a promising starting point for developing highly faithful waveform templates driven by eccentric dynamics for present, and possibly future, gravitational wave detectors.