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arXiv · 2406.02715

Gravitational-Wave Data Analysis with High-Precision Numerical Relativity Simulations of Boson Star mergers

Tamara Evstafyeva·Ulrich Sperhake·Isobel Romero-Shaw·Michalis Agathos
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Abstract

Gravitational-wave signals detected to date are commonly interpreted under the paradigm that they originate from pairs of black holes or neutron stars. Here, we explore the alternative scenario of boson-star signals being present in the data stream. We perform accurate and long ($\sim 20$ orbits) numerical simulations of boson-star binaries and inject the resulting strain into LIGO noise. Our Bayesian inference reveals that some boson-star signals. are degenerate with current approximants, albeit with biased parameters, while others exhibit smoking-gun signatures leaving behind conspicuous residuals.

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Tamara Evstafyeva, Ulrich Sperhake, Isobel Romero-Shaw, Michalis Agathos. 2024-06-04. Gravitational-Wave Data Analysis with High-Precision Numerical Relativity Simulations of Boson Star mergers. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.133.131401

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