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Main Authors: Cardoso, Vitor, Ficarra, Giuseppe, Redondo-Yuste, Jaime, Santos, João Sieiro dos
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.20320
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author Cardoso, Vitor
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Redondo-Yuste, Jaime
Santos, João Sieiro dos
author_facet Cardoso, Vitor
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Redondo-Yuste, Jaime
Santos, João Sieiro dos
contents Triple systems have progressively been recognized as ubiquitous in our universe and provide a good testing ground for wave generation and propagation in nontrivial environments. We study the dynamics of triple systems in a fully nonlinear setting. In particular, we analyze numerical relativity simulations of head-on collisions of black holes in the presence of a companion. We show evidence for Doppler and gravitational redshift in the ringdown, and clear signs of amplification by lensing. In certain cases, we also show the appearance of a second image, with hints of resonant mode excitation. Our results pave the way for the understanding of mergers in the vicinity of massive companions. Even in extreme setups we do not find collapse to black holes from lensed gravitational radiation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_20320
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The third wheel: ringdown and lensing of triple systems
Cardoso, Vitor
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Redondo-Yuste, Jaime
Santos, João Sieiro dos
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Triple systems have progressively been recognized as ubiquitous in our universe and provide a good testing ground for wave generation and propagation in nontrivial environments. We study the dynamics of triple systems in a fully nonlinear setting. In particular, we analyze numerical relativity simulations of head-on collisions of black holes in the presence of a companion. We show evidence for Doppler and gravitational redshift in the ringdown, and clear signs of amplification by lensing. In certain cases, we also show the appearance of a second image, with hints of resonant mode excitation. Our results pave the way for the understanding of mergers in the vicinity of massive companions. Even in extreme setups we do not find collapse to black holes from lensed gravitational radiation.
title The third wheel: ringdown and lensing of triple systems
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.20320