- General Relativity plays a fundamental role
when describing astrophysical systems containing compact
objects
- Core collapse supernovae
- Pulsars
- X-ray binaries
- Coalescing neutron stars and/or black holes
(BH/BH, BH/NS, NS/NS)
- Black hole formation
- Active galactic nuclei
- Gamma-ray bursts (and superluminal jets)
- Accretion
- Except from the binary black hole scenario, all astrophysical systems of
interest (say, for gravitational wave studies) contain
matter fields
- Complete description of fluid flow coupled to geometry only
conceibable through accurate numerical simulations
- Many astrophysical scenarios can be described in the
'test fluid'
approximation: hydrodynamical computations in predetermined curved
(background) spacetimes
- The (GR) hydrodynamic equations constitute a hyperbolic system
- Solid mathematical foundations and
accurate numerical methodology at our disposal
- Our preferred choice:
high-resolution shock-capturing schemes written
in conservation form
