arXiv subjects

Aditya Kumar Sharma

Publications and source records attributed to Aditya Kumar Sharma.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Probing magnetic fields of compact objects with continuous gravitational waves

Spinning, deformed compact objects such as neutron stars are canonical sources of continuous gravitational waves. These objects may be born with magnetic fields that can strongly influence their spin evolution and, consequently, their gravitational wave detectability. Employing a Bayesian framework, we use for the first time, the non detection of continuous gravitational waves in the LIGO Virgo KAGRA (LVK) third observing run (O3), using reported amplitude upper limits from various LVK and Einstein@Home searches, to place population level constraints on the birth magnetic field distribution of Galactic compact objects. To this end, we simulate compact object populations whose spin evolution is governed by gravitational wave emission and magnetic dipole radiation. We explore multiple ellipticity models and magnetic field decay timescales, and find that the lower limit on the birth magnetic field distribution hyperparameter $B_0$ is constrained to lie in the range $10^{9.6}\mathrm{G} \lesssim B_0\,\lesssim 10^{13.3}\mathrm{G}$. Furthermore, we reinterpret the number constraints on the total population of Galactic compact objects, reported previously by \citet{Prabhu_2024}, as upper limits on the number of compact objects with a population averaged magnetic field, presented as a function of ellipticity and gravitational wave frequency for all searches considered here.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Constraining binary mergers in AGN disks using the non-observation of lensed gravitational waves

The dense and dynamic environments within active galactic nuclei (AGN) accretion disks may serve as prolific birthplaces for binary black holes (BBHs) and one possible origin for some of the BBHs detected by gravitational-wave (GW) observatories. We show that a considerable fraction of the BBH in AGN disks will be strongly lensed by the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). Thus, the non-observation of lensed GW signals can be used to constrain the fraction of BBH binaries residing in AGN disks. The non-detection of lensing with current ${\cal O}(100)$ detections will be sufficient to start placing constraints on the fraction of BBHs living within accretion disks near the SMBH. In the next-generation detectors era, with ${\cal O}(10^5)$ BBH observations and no lensed events, we will be able to rule out most migration traps as dominant birthplaces of BBH mergers; moreover, we will be able to constrain the minimum size of the accretion disk. On the other hand, should AGNs constitute a major formation channel, lensed events from AGNs will become prominent in the future.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Constraining the abundance of spinning deformed Galactic compact objects with continuous gravitational waves

Galactic spinning compact objects (COs) with non-zero ellipticity are expected to be sources of continuous gravitational waves (CGWs). Certain classes of hypothetical COs, such as neutron stars with quark cores (hybrid stars), and quark stars, are thought to be capable of sustaining large ellipticities from theoretical considerations. Such exotic COs (eCOs) with large ellipticities should produce CGWs detectable by the current LIGO-Virgo-Kagra GW detector network. Since no detections for CGWs, from searches in LIGO-Virgo data, have so far been reported, we place constraints on the abundance of highly elliptical eCOs in our Galaxy. We formulate a Bayesian framework to place upper limits on the number count $N_{tot}$ of highly deformed Galactic eCOs. We divide our constraints into two classes: an "agnostic" set of upper limits on $N_{tot}$ evaluated on a CGW frequency and ellipticity grid that depend only on the choice of spatial distribution of COs; and a model-dependent set that additionally assumes prior information on the distribution of frequencies. We find that COs with ellipticities $ε\gtrsim 10^{-5}$ have abundance upper limits at $90\%$ confidence, of $N_{tot}^{90\%} \lesssim 100$, and those with $ε\gtrsim 10^{-6}$ have $N_{tot}^{90\%} \lesssim 10^4$. We additionally place upper-limits on the ellipticity of Galactic COs informed by our choices of spatial distributions, given different abundances $N_{tot}$.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Prospects for the observation of continuous gravitational waves from spinning neutron stars lensed by the galactic supermassive black hole

We study the prospects of detecting continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from spinning neutron stars (NSs), gravitationally lensed by the galactic supermassive black hole. Assuming various astrophysically motivated spatial distributions of galactic NSs, we find that CGW signals from a few ($\sim 0-6$) neutron stars should be strongly lensed. Lensing will produce two copies of the signal (with time delays of seconds to minutes) that will interfere with each other. The relative motion of the NS with respect to the lensing optical axis will change the interference pattern, which will help us to identify a lensed signal. Accounting for the magnifications and time delays of the lensed signals, we investigate their detectability by ground-based detectors. Modelling the spin distribution of NSs based on that of known pulsars and assuming an ellipticity of $ε= 10^{-7}$, lensed CGWs are unlikely to be detectable by LIGO and Virgo in realistic searches involving $\mathcal{O}(10^{12})$ templates. However, third generation detectors have a $\sim 2-51\%$ probability of detecting at least one lensed CGW signal. For an ellipticity of $ε= 10^{-8}$, the detection probability reduces to $\sim 0-18 \, \% $. Though rare, such an observation will enable interesting probes of the supermassive black hole and its environment.

gr-qc↗