Constructing Helically Symmetric Spacetimes

A number of people have recently begun work toward the construction of helically symmetric spacetimes that model binary systems of compact objects. Imposing helical symmetry will allow us to numerically solve the full set of Einstein equations, and the resulting spacetimes could yield accurate initial data for inspiral simulations. One of us (Uryu) has completed a code for constructing binary neutron stars, however convergence has not yet been attained. Starting from a 3D linear scalar field, we have explored the convergence properties of a series of increasingly complex toy problems.