Author:
Wolfe Noah E.,Vitale Salvatore,Talbot Colm
Abstract
Abstract
The detection of a sub-solar mass black hole could yield dramatic new insights into the
nature of dark matter and early-Universe physics, as such objects lack a traditional astrophysical
formation mechanism. Gravitational waves allow for the direct measurement of compact object
masses during binary mergers, and we expect the gravitational-wave signal from a low-mass
coalescence to remain within the LIGO frequency band for thousands of seconds. However, it is
unclear whether one can confidently measure the properties of a sub-solar mass compact object and
distinguish between a sub-solar mass black hole or other exotic objects. To this end, we perform
Bayesian parameter estimation on simulated gravitational-wave signals from sub-solar mass black
hole mergers to explore the measurability of their source properties. We find that the LIGO/Virgo
detectors during the O4 observing run would be able to confidently identify sub-solar component
masses at the threshold of detectability; these events would also be well-localized on the sky and
may reveal some information on their binary spin geometry. Further, next-generation detectors
such as Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope will allow for precision measurement of the
properties of sub-solar mass mergers and tighter constraints on their compact-object nature.
Subject
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cited by
2 articles.
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