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arXiv · 2404.11513

Dark matter, black holes, and gravitational waves

Gianfranco Bertone
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Abstract

The formation and growth of black holes can strongly influence the distribution of dark matter around them. I discuss here the different types of dark matter overdensities around black holes, including dark matter cusps, spikes, mounds, crests, and gravitational atoms. I then review recent results on the evolution of a black holes binary in presence of dark matter, focusing on the energy transfer between binary and dark matter induced by dynamical friction. Finally, I present the prospects for studying dark matter with gravitational wave observations, and argue that future interferometers might be able to detect and characterise dark matter overdensities around black holes.

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Gianfranco Bertone. 2024-04-17. Dark matter, black holes, and gravitational waves. https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.11513

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