The influence of gravitational wave momentum losses on the centre of mass motion of a Newtonian binay system.

Following Bekenstein's (1973) work on recoiling black holes, the gravitational wave linear momentum flux from a binary system of two point masses in Keplerian orbit is calculated. The quasi-Newtonian approach is adopted, and the resulting motion of the center of mass is calculated. As such a system decays via gravitational wave energy losses, the size of the orbit decreases until the components merge or become tidally disrupted. Thereafter, the center of mass moves with the linear momentum necessary to balance that carried off by the gravitational waves. In the case of a binary black hole system, the velocity of the center of mass could be of astrophysical significance, although numerical studies would be necessary to check this claim.