Do Black Hole Mergers Maximize Entropy?

When two black holes merge, general relativity predicts that the final state is a Kerr Black Hole simply described by its mass M f and angular momentum J f . Numerical Relativity computes these numbers with remarkable precision, but offers no simple insight into why that particular remnant is selected. We ask whether the answer is thermodynamic. By mapping the dynamics of the binary to a curve in the space of Kerr solutions and maximizing the entropy, we predict the mass and angular momentum of the final state. The construction is admittedly ad hoc, yet the agreement is striking. We argue that the final state of binary black hole mergers may be selected by an entropy maximization principle.

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Publication Details

Journal
International Journal of Modern Physics D
Published
2026-07-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218271826410130
Primary Topic
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Do Black Hole Mergers Maximize Entropy?

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International Journal of Modern Physics D
Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
article

Do Black Hole Mergers Maximize Entropy?

Ish Gupta, Nathan K. Johnson-McDaniel, Eugenio Bianchi, Vaishak Prasad, B. S. Sathyaprakash, Monica Rincon-Ramirez
article en

Abstract

When two black holes merge, general relativity predicts that the final state is a Kerr Black Hole simply described by its mass M f and angular momentum J f . Numerical Relativity computes these numbers with remarkable precision, but offers no simple insight into why that particular remnant is selected. We ask whether the answer is thermodynamic. By mapping the dynamics of the binary to a curve in the space of Kerr solutions and maximizing the entropy, we predict the mass and angular momentum of the final state. The construction is admittedly ad hoc, yet the agreement is striking. We argue that the final state of binary black hole mergers may be selected by an entropy maximization principle.

International Journal of Modern Physics D
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Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
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