Higher dimensional numerical relativity: Code comparison

The nonlinear behavior of higher dimensional black hole spacetimes is of interest in several contexts, ranging from an understanding of cosmic censorship to black hole production in high-energy collisions. However, nonlinear numerical evolutions of higher dimensional black hole spacetimes are tremendously complex, involving different diagnostic tools and “dimensional reduction methods.” In this work we compare two different successful codes to evolve Einstein’s equations in higher dimensions, and show that the results of such different procedures agree to numerical precision, when applied to the collision from rest of two equal-mass black holes. We calculate the total radiated energy to be Erad/M=(9.0±0.5)×10−4 in five dimensions and Erad/M=(8.1±0.4)×10−4 in six dimensions.