Rapid Merger of Binary Primordial Black Holes: an Implication for GW150914

We propose a new scenario for the evolution of a binary of primordial black holes (PBHs). We consider a dynamical friction by ambient dark matter, scattering of dark matter particles with a highly eccentric orbit besides the standard two-body relaxation process to refill the loss cone, and interaction between the binary and a circumbinary disk, assuming that PBHs do not constitute the bulk of dark matter. Binary PBHs lose the energy and angular momentum by these processes, which could be sufficiently efficient for a typical configuration. Such a binary coalesces due to the gravitational wave emission in a time scale much shorter than the age of the universe. We estimate the density parameter of the resultant gravitational wave background. Astrophysical implication concerning the formation of intermediate-mass to supermassive black holes is also discussed.Comment: 7 pages, no figure. Accepted for publication in PAS

Binary pulsars as dark-matter probes

During the motion of a binary pulsar around the Galactic center, the pulsar and its companion experience a wind of dark-matter particles that can affect the orbital motion through dynamical friction. We show that this effect produces a characteristic seasonal modulation of the orbit and causes a secular change of the orbital period whose magnitude can be well within the astonishing precision of various binary-pulsar observations. Our analysis is valid for binary systems with orbital period longer than a day. By comparing this effect with pulsar-timing measurements, it is possible to derive model-independent upper bounds on the dark-matter density at different distances $D$ from the Galactic center. For example, the precision timing of J1713+0747 imposes $\rho_{\rm DM}\lesssim 10^5\,{\rm GeV/cm}^3$ at $D\approx7\,{\rm kpc}$. The detection of a binary pulsar at $D\lesssim 10\,{\rm pc}$ could provide stringent constraints on dark-matter halo profiles and on growth models of the central black hole. The Square Kilometer Array can improve current bounds by 2 orders of magnitude, potentially constraining the local density of dark matter to unprecedented levels.Comment: 8+3 pages, 7 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev. D; v2: matches published versio

Advanced Methods in Black-Hole Perturbation Theory

Black-hole perturbation theory is a useful tool to investigate issues in astrophysics, high-energy physics, and fundamental problems in gravity. It is often complementary to fully-fledged nonlinear evolutions and instrumental to interpret some results of numerical simulations. Several modern applications require advanced tools to investigate the linear dynamics of generic small perturbations around stationary black holes. Here, we present an overview of these applications and introduce extensions of the standard semianalytical methods to construct and solve the linearized field equations in curved spacetime. Current state-of-the-art techniques are pedagogically explained and exciting open problems are presented.Comment: Lecture notes from the NRHEP spring school held at IST-Lisbon, March 2013. Extra material and notebooks available online at http://blackholes.ist.utl.pt/nrhep2/. To be published by IJMPA (V. Cardoso, L. Gualtieri, C. Herdeiro and U. Sperhake, Eds., 2013); v2: references updated, published versio

Monarchism and Liberalism in Mexico's Nineteenth Century

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Tests for the existence of horizons through gravitational wave echoes

The existence of black holes and of spacetime singularities is a fundamental issue in science. Despite this, observations supporting their existence are scarce, and their interpretation unclear. We overview how strong a case for black holes has been made in the last few decades, and how well observations adjust to this paradigm. Unsurprisingly, we conclude that observational proof for black holes is impossible to come by. However, just like Popper's black swan, alternatives can be ruled out or confirmed to exist with a single observation. These observations are within reach. In the next few years and decades, we will enter the era of precision gravitational-wave physics with more sensitive detectors. Just as accelerators require larger and larger energies to probe smaller and smaller scales, more sensitive gravitational-wave detectors will be probing regions closer and closer to the horizon, potentially reaching Planck scales and beyond. What may be there, lurking?Comment: Published in Nature Astronomy, expanded version with further details available at arXiv:1707.0302

Analytical template for gravitational-wave echoes: signal characterization and prospects of detection with current and future interferometers

Gravitational-wave echoes in the post-merger ringdown phase are under intense scrutiny as probes of near-horizon quantum structures and as signatures of exotic states of matter in ultracompact stars. We present an analytical template that describes the ringdown and the echo signal for nonspinning objects in terms of two physical parameters: the reflectivity and the redshift at the surface of the object. We characterize the properties of the template and adopt it in a preliminary parameter estimation with current (aLIGO) and future (Cosmic Explorer, Einstein Telescope, LISA) gravitational-wave detectors. For fixed signal-to-noise ratio in the post-merger phase, the constraints on the model parameters depend only mildly on the details of the detector sensitivity curve, but depend strongly on the reflectivity. Our analysis suggests that it might be possible to detect or rule out Planckian corrections at the horizon scale for perfectly-reflecting ultracompact objects at $5\sigma$ confidence level with Advanced LIGO/Virgo. On the other hand, signal-to-noise ratios in the ringdown phase equal to $\approx 100$ (as achievable with future interferometers) might allow us to probe near-horizon quantum structures with reflectivity $\gtrsim30\%$ ($\gtrsim85\%$) at $2\sigma$ ($3\sigma$) level.Comment: v3: 13+4 pages, 11 figures, 4 appendices; matches the PRD version with a new plot and extended results. v2 (submitted version): 12 pages + 4 appendices; 9 figures. Further discussion and new appendix with template for localized sources at generic position. Template and waveforms available at https://www.darkgra.org/gw-echo-catalogue.htm

Tidal capture of a primordial black hole by a neutron star: implications for constraints on dark matter

In a close encounter with a neutron star, a primordial black hole can get gravitationally captured by depositing a considerable amount of energy into nonradial stellar modes of very high angular number $l$. If the neutron-star equation of state is sufficiently stiff, we show that the total energy loss in the point-particle approximation is formally divergent. Various mechanisms -including viscosity, finite-size effects and the elasticity of the crust- can damp high-$l$ modes and regularize the total energy loss. Within a short time, the black hole is trapped inside the star and disrupts it by rapid accretion. Estimating these effects, we predict that the existence of old neutron stars in regions where the dark-matter density rho_{DM}>10^2 sigma/(km/s) GeV/cm^3 (where sigma is the dark-matter velocity dispersion) limits the abundance of primordial black holes in the mass range 10^{17} g < m_{PBH} < 10^{24} g, which was previously unconstrained. In combination with existing limits, our results suggest that primordial black holes cannot be the dominant dark matter constituent.Comment: v3: Changes in the organization of the paper, extended discussion and new title; results and conclusions unchanged. v4: minor editorial changes, JCAP accepte

Dark matter production in association with a single top-quark at the LHC in a two-Higgs-doublet model with a pseudoscalar mediator

The sensitivity of the LHC experiments to the associated production of dark matter with a single top is studied in the framework of an extension of the standard model featuring two Higgs doublets and an additional pseudoscalar mediator. It is found that the experimental sensitivity is dominated by the on-shell production of a charged Higgs boson, when this assumes a mass below 1 TeV. Dedicated selections considering one and two lepton final states are developed to assess the coverage in parameter space for this signature at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV assuming an integrated luminosity of 300 fb$^{-1}$. For a pseudoscalar mediator with mass 150 GeV and maximally mixed with the pseudoscalar of the two Higgs doublets, values of $tan\beta$ up to 3 and down to 15 can be excluded at 95% CL, if the $H^{\pm}$ mass is in the range 300 GeV-1 TeV. This novel signature complements the parameter space coverage of the mono-Higgs, mono-Z and $t{\bar t}$+$E_{\mathrm T}^{\mathrm miss}$ signatures considered in previous publications for this model.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Testing the nature of dark compact objects: a status report

Very compact objects probe extreme gravitational fields and may be the key to understand outstanding puzzles in fundamental physics. These include the nature of dark matter, the fate of spacetime singularities, or the loss of unitarity in Hawking evaporation. The standard astrophysical description of collapsing objects tells us that massive, dark and compact objects are black holes. Any observation suggesting otherwise would be an indication of beyond-the-standard-model physics. Null results strengthen and quantify the Kerr black hole paradigm. The advent of gravitational-wave astronomy and precise measurements with very long baseline interferometry allow one to finally probe into such foundational issues. We overview the physics of exotic dark compact objects and their observational status, including the observational evidence for black holes with current and future experiments.Comment: 76 pages + references. Invited review article for Living Reviews in Relativity. v3: Overall improvements and references added, a few typos corrected. Version to appear in LR