1 Introduction

Quasi-Normal Modes of Stars and Black Holes

Kostas D. Kokkotas
Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
Thessaloniki 54006, Greece.
kokkotas@astro.auth.gr
http://www.astro.auth.gr/~kokkotas


and

Bernd G. Schmidt
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics,
Albert Einstein Institute, D-14476 Golm, Germany.
bernd@aei-potsdam.mpg.de


(Accepted 31 August 1999)

Abstract

Perturbations of stars and black holes have been one of the main topics of relativistic astrophysics for the last few decades. They are of particular importance today, because of their relevance to gravitational wave astronomy. In this review we present the theory of quasi-normal modes of compact objects from both the mathematical and astrophysical points of view. The discussion includes perturbations of black holes (Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordström, Kerr and Kerr-Newman) and relativistic stars (non-rotating and slowly-rotating). The properties of the various families of quasi-normal modes are described, and numerical techniques for calculating quasi-normal modes reviewed. The successes, as well as the limits, of perturbation theory are presented, and its role in the emerging era of numerical relativity and supercomputers is discussed.



1 Introduction

image Quasi-Normal Modes of Stars and Black Holes
Kostas D. Kokkotas and Bernd G. Schmidt
http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-1999-2
© Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. ISSN 1433-8351
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