Zoom-Whirl Orbits in Black Hole Binaries
  Zoom-whirl behavior has the reputation of being a rare phenomenon. The
concern has been that gravitational radiation would drain angular momentum so
rapidly that generic orbits would circularize before zoom-whirl behavior could
play out, and only rare highly tuned orbits would retain their imprint. Using
full numerical relativity, we catch zoom-whirl behavior despite dissipation.
The larger the mass ratio, the longer the pair can spend in orbit before
merging and therefore the more zooms and whirls seen. Larger spins also enhance
zoom-whirliness. An important implication is that these eccentric orbits can
merge during a whirl phase, before enough angular momentum has been lost to
truly circularize the orbit. Waveforms will be modulated by the harmonics of
zoom-whirls, showing quiet phases during zooms and louder glitches during
whirls.
