2023-06-16 16:00  Online

On the detectability and distinguishability of exotic compact object coalescence by present generation gravitational wave detectors

Dr. Shrobana Ghosh

The international network of gravitational wave (GW) detectors operated by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration have reported 90 compact binary coalescence (CBC) events in the last eight years, with many more likely in the current (fourth) observing run. A CBC signal (chirp) comprises three stages in frequency evolution - inspiral, merger and ringdown (IMR). While we are confident about the signals being generated by the merger of two compact objects, in the absence of detection of the ringdown stage of the signal it is difficult to confidently characterize the remnant as a black hole. Furthermore, it is also non-trivial to rule out the possibility of the components being some other exotic objects unless the phase of the GW signal incorporates properties specific to those. In this talk I will go over a qualitative treatment of an exotic merger waveform and discuss our ability of detecting and potentially mischaracterizing them. I will also propose a new approach to study properties of the compact objects in a population of CBCs, which can alleviate the issue of mischaracterizing exotic binaries as black hole binaries.