13–24 Mar 2017
Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University
Europe/Berlin timezone

Gravitational-wave signatures of exotic compact objects and of quantum corrections at the horizon scale

16 Mar 2017, 10:45
1h
02.430 (Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University)

02.430

Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University

Staudingerweg 9 / 2nd floor, 55128 Mainz

Speaker

Paolo Pani (Sapienza University of Rome & INFN Roma1 - IST, Lisbon)

Description

Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy allows us for unprecedented tests of the nature of compact objects. In this context, I will discuss two signatures of new physics at the horizon scale: GW "echoes" in the postmerger ringdown phase of a binary coalescence, and the tidal deformability of exotic compact objects as measured from the inspiral premerger phase. In the first case, the ringdown waveform of exotic ultracompact objects is initially identical to that of a black hole, and putative corrections at the horizon scale appear only later as a modulated and distorted train of echoes of the modes of vibration associated with the photon sphere. As for the second case, I will discuss the tidal Love numbers of different families of boson stars, gravastars, wormholes, and other toy models for quantum corrections at the horizon scale, showing that they display a universal logarithmic dependence on the location of the surface in the black-hole limit. I will discuss the ability of present and future GW detectors to measure these effects. Both LIGO, ET and LISA can impose interesting constraints on boson stars, while LISA is able to probe even extremely compact objects like gravastars. We argue that these effects provide a smoking gun of new physics at the horizon scale, and that future GW measurements of a binary coalescence provide a novel way to test black holes and general relativity in the strong-field regime.
Overview or Regular Talk? Regular: 45 min.

Primary author

Paolo Pani (Sapienza University of Rome & INFN Roma1 - IST, Lisbon)

Presentation materials