Quadratic-in-spin effects in the orbital dynamics and gravitational-wave energy flux of compact binaries at the 3PN order

Abstract

Abstract We investigate the dynamics of spinning binaries of compact objects at the next-to-leading order in the quadratic-in-spin effects, which corresponds to the third post-Newtonian order (3PN). Using a Dixon-type multipolar formalism for spinning point particles endowed with spin-induced quadrupoles and computing iteratively in harmonic coordinates the relevant pieces of the PN metric within the near zone, we derive the post-Newtonian equations of motion as well as the equations of spin precession. We find full equivalence with available results. We then focus on the far-zone field produced by those systems and obtain the previously unknown 3PN spin contributions to the gravitational-wave energy flux by means of the multipolar post-Minkowskian wave generation formalism. Our results are presented in the center-of-mass frame for generic orbits, before being further specialized to the case of spin-aligned, circular orbits. Based on the energy balance equation, we derive the orbital phase of the binary at the order 3PN including all conservative spin effects and briefly discuss the relevance of the new terms.