Radiation from a D-dimensional collision of shock waves: numerical methods

Abstract: We present a pedagogical introduction to the problem of evolving a head on collision of two Aichelburg-Sexl gravitational shock waves in D-dimensions, using perturbative techniques. We follow a constructive approach with examples, going in some detail through: the set up of the exact initial conditions and their properties; perturbative methods in flat space-time with Green function solutions; and numerical strategies to evaluate the integral solutions. We also discuss, briefly, radiation extraction methods adapted to this problem, together with some of the results for this system.