Data formats for numerical relativity waves

While this interface document proposes technical standards for numerical relativity waveforms, we believe that the ability to extract the best astrophysical information from NR waveforms in gravitational wave searches will depend not just on adopting standards, but on the ability of the gravitational wave detector communities and the NR relativity communities to interact closely and develop a sufficiently detailed understanding of each other’s technical methods and limitations. To effectively use NR waveforms, gravitational wave scientists will need to understand the physical limitations and subtleties of NR waveforms, and to effectively produce wave forms, numerical relativists will need to understand the instrumental limitations and subtleties of gravitational wave interferometers. We hope that this opens the way to deeper interactions between the GW and NR communities and look forward to closer collaborations that may develop between the two communities as we explore the gravitational-wave Universe together.