  Starting with a post-Newtonian description of compact binary systems, we
derive a set of equations that describes the evolution of the orbital angular
momentum and both spin vectors during inspiral. We find regions of phase space
that exhibit resonance behavior, characterized by small librations of the spin
vectors around a fixed orientation. Due to the loss of energy and orbital
angular momentum through radiation reaction, systems can eventually be captured
into these resonance orientations. By investigating the long-term evolution of
compact binaries with a variety of initial conditions, we find that the
distribution in parameter space can be strongly affected by resonance captures.
This has the effect of significantly reducing the size of search space for
gravitational wave sources, in turn improving the chances of detecting such
sources through methods of template matching. Furthermore, by calculating the
expected spin distribution at the end of the inspiral phase, we can predict
what are the most likely initial conditions for the plunge phase, a result of
great interest for numerical relativity calculations.
