We present here an alternative approach to data setting for spacetimes with multiple moving black holes generalizing the Kerr-Schild form for rotating or nonrotating single black holes to multiple moving holes. Because this scheme preserves the Kerr-Schild form near the holes, it selects out the behavior of null rays near the holes, may simplify horizon tracking, and may prove useful in computational applications. For computational evolution, a discussion of coordinates (lapse function and shift vector) is given which preserves some of the properties of the single-hole Kerr-Schild form.

• Received 15 December 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.59.024015