Gravitational waves from inspiraling compact binaries: Angular momentum flux, evolution of the orbital elements, and the waveform to the second post-Newtonian order

Abstract

The post-post-Newtonian (2PN) accurate mass quadrupole moment, for compact binaries of arbitrary mass ratio, moving in general orbits is obtained by the multipolar post Minkowskian approach of Blanchet, Damour, and Iyer. Using this, for binaries in general orbits, the 2PN contributions to the gravitational waveform, and the associated far-zone energy and angular momentum fluxes are computed. For quasielliptic orbits, the energy and angular momentum fluxes are averaged over an orbital period, and employed to determine the 2PN corrections to the rate of decay of the orbital elements.