Radiation recoil from highly distorted black holes - art. no. 084005.

We present results from numerical evolutions of single black holes distorte d by axisymmetric, but equatorially asymmetric, gravitational (Brill) waves . Net radiated energies, apparent horizon embeddings, and recoil velocities are shown for a range of Brill wave parameters, including both even and od d parity distortions of Schwarzschild black holes. We find that a wave pack et initially concentrated on the black hole throat, a likely model also for highly asymmetric stellar collapse and late stage binary mergers, can gene rate a maximum recoil velocity of about 150 (23) km/sec for even (odd) pari ty perturbations, significantly less than that required to eject black hole s from galactic cores. [S0556-2821(99)10418-1].