This paper presents a semianalytical approach to the interaction of two (originally) spherically symmetric black holes through a head-on collision process. It is shown that an expression for the rate of emission of gravitational radiation can be derived from the so-called Weyl potential. The total output of gravitational wave energy released is then calculated and the results are compared to recent numerical investigations of this problem.

• Received 9 December 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.52.816