arXiv subjects

Luc Blanchet

Publications and source records attributed to Luc Blanchet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of arbitrary-mass compact binaries with spins at the fourth post-Newtonian order

We compute, up to 4th post-Newtonian (4PN) order, the gauge-invariant stability criterion determining the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) for arbitrary-mass compact binaries with spins aligned with the orbital angular momentum. Our calculation, a perturbation analysis, incorporates spin-orbit and spin-spin contributions, both up to next-to-next-to-leading order, as well as leading-order cubic and quartic spin contributions, all calculated in prior works within the effective-field-theory (EFT) Hamiltonian formalism. In the test-mass limit, we recover the Kerr ISCO truncated at 4PN order. Estimating the ISCO shift at first order in the mass ratio and comparing our results with numerical gravitational self-force (GSF) calculations, we find good agreement for retrograde spin (the smallest discrepancy being obtained for maximal retrograde spin) and moderate prograde spin. For nearly maximal prograde spin, the PN approach fails to determine the ISCO, for it is close to the black hole (BH) horizon. We also estimate the ISCO shift due to the test-particle spin and compare our result with the exact prediction from the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon (MPD) equations for a spinning particle orbiting a Kerr black hole. Finally, we discuss the stability and the ISCO of corotating black-hole binaries.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Gravitational radiation reaction for compact binary systems at the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian order in harmonic coordinates

We derive the gravitational radiation-reaction (RR) force in the harmonic coordinate system at the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian (4.5PN) order in the case of compact binary systems. Dimensional regularization is used to treat the ultra-violet divergences which appear at that order. We prove that the RR acceleration implies the known radiation fluxes at infinity associated with energy, angular momentum, linear momentum, and center-of-mass position. As a consistency check, we verify the manifest Lorentz invariance of the RR acceleration in harmonic coordinates. Our result should be useful for comparisons with other approaches such as the gravitational self force (GSF) and the post-Minkowskian (PM) effective field theory.

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arXiv2025

Dipolar dark matter theory based on a non-Abelian Yang-Mills field

Most theories that attempt to reproduce the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) phenomenology for dark matter at galactic scales rely on ad hoc free functions, preventing them from being regarded as fundamental. In this work, we present a new theory that reproduces MOND, built on a supposed to be fundamental Yang-Mills gauge field based on SU(2), with a gravitational coupling constant, and emerging in a low-acceleration regime, below the MOND acceleration scale. The gauge field plays the role of the internal force in the dipolar dark matter (DDM) model. We discuss how certain solutions of this theory recover the deep MOND regime without introducing arbitrary functions in the action. Within this framework, the MOND phenomenology appears to be due to the existence of a new sector of particle physics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Khronon-Tensor theory reproducing MOND and the cosmological model

We propose an alternative scalar-tensor theory based on the Khronon scalar field labeling a family of space-like three-dimensional hypersurfaces. This theory leads to modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) at galactic scales for stationary systems, recovers GR plus a cosmological constant in the strong field regime, and is in agreement with the standard cosmological model and the observed cosmic microwave background anisotropies.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Innermost stable circular orbit of arbitrary-mass compact binaries at fourth post-Newtonian order

We compute by means of post-Newtonian (PN) methods the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of arbitrary-mass (in particular, comparable-mass) compact binaries. Two methods are used with equivalent results: dynamical perturbation of the conservative equations of motion in harmonic coordinates, and dynamical perturbation of the conservative Hamiltonian in ADM coordinates. The perturbation of the non-local tail term at 4PN order in both approaches is carefully investigated. Our final gauge invariant result for the location of the ISCO at 4PN order is close to the numerical value of the ISCO shift computed by the gravitational self-force (GSF) approach in the small mass-ratio limit, and is also in good agreement with the full numerical-relativity calculation in the case of equal masses. The PN method followed here is considered in standard Taylor-expanded form, without any resummation techniques applied. As a complement, we also compute explicitly the gauge transformation from harmonic coordinates to ADM coordinates up to 4PN order, including the tail contribution therein.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Effective field theory reproducing the MOND phenomenology based on a non-Abelian Yang-Mills graviphoton

Motivated by the phenomenology of MOND, we propose a theory based on a fundamental non Abelian Yang-Mills gauge field with gravitational coupling constant (a "graviphoton") emerging in a regime of weak acceleration, i.e. below the MOND acceleration scale. Using the formalism of the effective field theory and invoking a mechanism of gravitational polarization of the dark matter medium, we show that generic solutions of this theory reproduce the deep MOND limit without having to introduce in an ad hoc way an arbitrary function in the action. In this framework, MOND is due to the existence of a new sector of the standard model of particle physics. Furthermore, the model involves a violation of the local Lorentz invariance in the low acceleration regime. We show how to restore the general covariance of the model by adding one gravitational degree of freedom in the form of the scalar Khronon field.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Gravitational radiation reaction for compact binary systems at the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian order

We compute the gravitational radiation-reaction force on a compact binary source at the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian (4.5PN) order of general relativity, i.e., 2PN order beyond the leading 2.5PN radiation reaction. The calculation is valid for general orbits in a general frame, but in a particular coordinate system which is an extension of the Burke-Thorne coordinate system at the lowest order. With the radiation-reaction acceleration, we derive (from first principles) the flux-balance laws associated with the energy, the angular and linear momenta, and the center-of-mass position, in a general frame and up to 4.5PN order. Restricting our attention to the frame of the center of mass, we point out that the equations of motion acquire a non-local-in-time contribution at the 4.5PN order, made of the integrated flux of linear momentum (responsible for the recoil of the source) together with the instantaneous flux of center-of-mass position. The non-local contribution was overlooked in the past literature, which assumed locality of the radiation-reaction force in the center of mass frame at 4.5PN order. We discuss the consequences of this non-local effect and obtain consistent non-local equations of motion and flux balance laws at 4.5PN order in the center-of-mass frame.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Comparison of 4.5PN and 2SF gravitational energy fluxes from quasicircular compact binaries

Recent years have seen significant advances in models of gravitational waveforms emitted by quasicircular compact binaries in two regimes: the weak-field, post-Newtonian regime, in which the gravitational wave energy flux has now been calculated to fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian order (4.5PN) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 131}, 121402 (2023)]; and the small-mass-ratio, gravitational self-force regime, in which the flux has now been calculated to second perturbative order in the mass ratio (2SF) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 151102 (2021)]. We compare these results and find agreement, showing consistency between the two (very distinct though both first-principle) perturbative calculations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Relativistic Khronon Theory in agreement with Modified Newtonian Dynamics and Large-Scale Cosmology

We propose an extension of General Relativity (GR) based on a space-time foliation by three-dimensional space-like hypersurfaces labeled by the Khronon scalar field $\tau$. We show that this theory (i) leads to modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) at galactic scales for stationary systems; (ii) recovers GR plus a cosmological constant in the strong field regime; (iii) is in agreement with the standard cosmological model and the observed cosmic microwave background anisotropies at linear cosmological scales, where the theory reduces to a subset of the generalized dark matter (GDM) model. We compute the second order action on a Minkowski background and show that it contains the usual tensor modes of GR and a scalar degree of freedom with dispersion relation $\omega=0$. We find that the deconstrained Hamiltonian is bounded from below for wavenumbers larger than $\sim 10^{-31}\,\text{eV}$ and unbounded for smaller wavenumbers.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

150 years of relativity and gravitation

This article is an extended version of the article published by EDP Sciences at the occasion of the 150 years of the ``Soci\'et\'e Fran\c{c}aise de Physique'' (in French)

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv2023

Gravitational waves from compact binaries to the fourth post-Newtonian order

The precise knowledge of the gravitational phase evolution of compact binaries is crucial to the data analysis for gravitational waves. Until recently, it was known analytically (for non-spinning systems) up to the 3.5 post-Newtonian (PN) order, i.e. up to the $(v/c)^7$ correction beyond the leading order quadrupole formula. Using a PN-multipolar-post-Minkowskian algorithm, we have pushed the accuracy to the next 4PN level. This derivation involved challenging technical issues, due to the appearance of non-physical divergences, which have to be properly regularized, as well as effects of non-linear multipole interactions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gravitational Wave Flux and Quadrupole Modes from Quasi-Circular Non-Spinning Compact Binaries to the Fourth Post-Newtonian Order

This article provides the details on the technical derivation of the gravitational waveform and total gravitational-wave energy flux of non-spinning compact binary systems to the 4PN (fourth post-Newtonian) order beyond the Einstein quadrupole formula. In particular: (i) we overview the link between the radiative multipole moments measured at infinity and the source moments in the framework of dimensional regularization; (ii) we compute special corrections to the source moments due to "infrared" commutators arising at the 4PN order; (iii) we derive a "post-adiabatic" correction needed to evaluate the tail integral with 2.5PN relative precision; (iv) we discuss the relation between the binary's orbital frequency in quasi-circular orbit and the gravitational-wave frequency measured at infinity; (v) we compute the hereditary effects at the 4PN order, including those coming from the recently derived tails-of-memory; and (vi) we describe the various tests we have performed to ensure the correctness of the results. Those results are collected in an ancillary file.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gravitational-Wave Phasing of Quasi-Circular Compact Binary Systems to the Fourth-and-a-Half post-Newtonian Order

The inspiral phase of gravitational waves emitted by spinless compact binary systems is derived through the fourth-and-a-half post-Newtonian (4.5PN) order beyond quadrupole radiation, and the leading amplitude mode ($\ell$, m) = (2, 2) is obtained at 4PN order. We also provide the radiated flux, as well as the phase in the stationary phase approximation. Rough numerical estimates for the contribution of each PN order are provided for typical systems observed by current and future gravitational wave detectors.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Multipole expansion of gravitational waves: memory effects and Bondi aspects

In our previous work, we proposed an algorithm to transform the metric of an isolated matter source in the multipolar post-Minkowskian approximation in harmonic (de Donder) gauge to the Newman-Unti gauge. We then applied this algorithm at linear order and for specific quadratic interactions known as quadratic tail terms. In the present work, we extend this analysis to quadratic interactions associated with the coupling of two mass quadrupole moments, including both instantaneous and hereditary terms. Our main result is the derivation of the metric in Newman-Unti and Bondi gauges with complete quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. We rederive the displacement memory effect and provide expressions for all Bondi aspects and dressed Bondi aspects relevant to the study of leading and subleading memory effects. Then we obtain the Newman-Penrose charges, the BMS charges as well as the second and third order celestial charges defined from the known second order and novel third order dressed Bondi aspects for mass monopole-quadrupole and quadrupole-quadrupole interactions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Absence of gravitational polarization mechanism in the canonical bimetric theory

Motivated by a version of the ``Dipolar Dark Matter'' model, that aims at a relativistic completion of the phenomenology of MOND, we investigate the gravitational polarization mechanism in the canonical bimetric theory with an effective matter coupling. We explicitly show the fundamental obstacle why such theories cannot achieve a consistent gravitational polarization, and thus fail to recover the MONDian phenomenology at low energies.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gravitational-wave tails of memory

Gravitational-wave tails are linear waves that backscatter on the curvature of space-time generated by the total mass-energy of the source. The non-linear memory effect arises from gravitational waves sourced by the stress-energy distribution of linear waves themselves. These two effects are due to quadratic multipolar interactions (mass-quadrupole and quadrupole-quadrupole) and are well known. Also known are the tails generated by tails themselves (cubic "tails-of-tails") and the tails generated by tails-of-tails or vice versa (quartic "tails-of-tails-of-tails"). In this work, we focus on the cubic "tails-of-memory" corresponding to the mass-quadrupole-quadrupole interaction, as well as the "spin-quadrupole tails", which are due to the cubic interaction between the mass, the total angular momentum and the quadrupole. The tails-of-memory and the spin-quadrupole tails contribute to the asymptotic waveform at the fourth-post-Newtonian (4PN) order beyond quadrupolar radiation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

The Quadrupole Moment of Compact Binaries to the Fourth post-Newtonian Order: Relating the Harmonic and Radiative Metrics

Motivated by the completion of the fourth post-Newtonian (4PN) gravitational-wave generation from compact binary systems, we analyze and contrast different constructions of the metric outside an isolated system, using post-Minkowskian expansions. The metric in "harmonic" coordinates has been investigated previously, in particular to compute tails and memory effects. However, it is plagued by powers of the logarithm of the radial distance $r$ when $r\to\infty$ (with $t-r/c=$ const). As a result, the tedious computation of the "tail-of-memory" effect, which enters the gravitational-wave flux at 4PN order, is more efficiently performed in the so-called "radiative" coordinates, which admit a (Bondi-type) expansion at infinity in simple powers of $r^{-1}$, without any logarithms. Here we consider a particular construction, performed order by order in the post-Minkowskian expansion, which directly yields a metric in radiative coordinates. We relate both constructions, and prove that they are physically equivalent as soon as a relation between the "canonical" moments which parametrize the radiative metric, and those parametrizing the harmonic metric, is verified. We provide the appropriate relation for the mass quadrupole moment at 4PN order, which will be crucial when deriving the "tail-of-memory" contribution to the gravitational flux.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

The Quadrupole Moment of Compact Binaries to the Fourth post-Newtonian Order: From Source to Canonical Moment

As a crucial step towards the completion of the fourth post-Newtonian (4PN) gravitational-wave generation from compact binary systems, we obtain the expressions of the so-called "canonical" multipole moments of the source in terms of the "source" and "gauge" moments. The canonical moments describe the propagation of gravitational waves outside the source's near zone, while the source and gauge moments encode explicit information about the matter source. Those two descriptions, in terms of two sets of canonical moments or in terms of six sets of source and gauge moments, are isometric. We thus construct the non-linear diffeomorphism between them up to the third post-Minkowskian order, and we exhibit the concrete expression of the canonical mass-type quadrupole moment at the 4PN order. This computation is one of the last missing pieces for the determination of the gravitational-wave phasing of compact binary systems at 4PN order.

gr-qc↗