They tackled the two-body problem – looking at how to predict the relative motion of two massive objects interacting through gravity – by using techniques originally developed in the field of particle physics. Through perturbation theory, which starts with solving a simple approximation to a problem and then solving more complex details incrementally, the team produced results which are a highly precise, analytic solution. As traditional ways to predict these interactions are expensive and slow, this new approach paves the way for future observations and more accurate gravitational wave models.

In an accompanying News & Views commentary, Zhengwen Liu describes the model presented by Jan Plefka and colleagues as having landmark precision. “Their high-precision results will drive the development of even more-accurate models of gravitational waves. These will be crucial to interpreting observations from future gravitational-wave experiments, such as the Einstein Telescope in Europe and the space-based Laser Interferometer Space Antenna” Liu writes.