The detection of quasinormal mode with $a/M \sim 0.95$ would prove a sphere $99\%$ soaking in the ergoregion of the Kerr space-time

Abstract

Recent numerical relativity simulations of mergers of binary black holes suggest that the maximum final value of $a/M$ is $\sim 0.95$ for the coalescence of two equal mass black holes with aligned spins of the same magnitude $a/M=0.994$ which is close to the upper limit $a/M=0.998$ of accretion spin-up shown by Thorne. Using the WKB method, we suggest that if quasinormal modes with $a/M \sim 0.95$ are detected by the second generation gravitational wave detectors, we could confirm the strong gravity space-time based on Einstein's general relativity up to $1.33M$ which is only $\sim 1.014$ times the event horizon radius and within the ergoregion. One more message about black hole geometry is expected here. If the quasinormal mode is different from that of general relativity, we need to find the true theory of gravity which deviates from general relativity only near the black hole horizon.

8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in PTEP (Submitted on Jan. 19, 2016)