Paper

{
  "raw_xml": "<entry>\n    <id>http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19913v1</id>\n    <title>Modeling the merger-ringdown of an eccentric test-mass inspiral into a Kerr black hole using the effective-one-body framework</title>\n    <updated>2026-03-20T12:52:12Z</updated>\n    <link href='https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19913v1' rel='alternate' type='text/html'/>\n    <link href='https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.19913v1' rel='related' title='pdf' type='application/pdf'/>\n    <summary>We characterize and phenomenologically model the merger-ringdown of gravitational waves emitted by a small compact object that plunges and merges into a Kerr black hole from equatorial-eccentric inspirals. The waveforms are generated employing a time-domain Teukolsky code sourced with trajectories computed using the effective-one-body framework. We span values of the Kerr spin $a\\in[-0.9, 0.9] $, eccentricity at the last stable orbit (LSO) $ e_{\\rm LSO} \\in [0,0.9] $, and relativistic anomaly $ ξ_{\\rm LSO} \\in [0 , 2 π]$. We characterize the last peak of the waveform and ringdown features across the parameter space, finding that the eccentricity mainly affects the last peak features, while it has a smaller impact on the ringdown signal. In contrast, the relativistic anomaly measured at the LSO influences the morphology of the last peak in a restricted portion of the parameter space and has no impact on the ringdown part. We perform the analysis for all the spin-weighted spherical harmonic modes normally included in the \\texttt{SEOBNR} family of models, $(\\ell,m)\\in\\{ (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5), (2,1), (3,2), (4,3)\\}$. Finally, we introduce a merger-ringdown model for \\texttt{SEOB-TMLE}, a forthcoming inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform model for eccentric spin-aligned binary black holes in the test-mass limit, whose features can be extended to comparable-mass regimes. The model also accounts for quasinormal mode mixing during the ringdown. It provides a first step toward incorporating the impact of residual eccentricity close to merger into spin-aligned effective-one-body merger-ringdown models for binary black holes.</summary>\n    <category scheme='http://arxiv.org/schemas/atom' term='gr-qc'/>\n    <published>2026-03-20T12:52:12Z</published>\n    <arxiv:comment>38 pages, 19 figures</arxiv:comment>\n    <arxiv:primary_category term='gr-qc'/>\n    <author>\n      <name>Guglielmo Faggioli</name>\n    </author>\n    <author>\n      <name>Alessandra Buonanno</name>\n    </author>\n    <author>\n      <name>Maarten van de Meent</name>\n    </author>\n    <author>\n      <name>Gaurav Khanna</name>\n    </author>\n  </entry>"
}