arXiv subjects

Pratick Sarkar

Publications and source records attributed to Pratick Sarkar.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Constraints on High-Frequency Gravitational Waves from Graviton-Photon Conversion in the M87 Galaxy

High-frequency gravitational waves, particularly in the range $f \gtrsim 10^{10}~\mathrm{Hz}$, represent a compelling probe of physics beyond the Standard Model. Due to the absence of direct detection methods in this frequency regime, alternative strategies may be pursued. One promising approach involves the conversion of gravitons into photons in the presence of magnetic fields, a process known as the inverse Gertsenshtein effect. In this study, we explore such graviton-to-photon conversions occurring within the magnetic field environment of the M87 galaxy, utilizing realistic models for the galactic magnetic field and plasma density structure. We use the broadband electromagnetic spectrum of M87, ranging from millimeter to TeV gamma rays, to search for hidden contributions from graviton-photon conversions. In the well-constrained frequency range $10^{10}$-$10^{27}~\mathrm{Hz}$, the lack of excess emission allows us to place improved bounds on the gravitational wave strain amplitude $h_c$ or on spectral energy density $\Omega_{\mathrm{gw}} h^2$. We find that our results from M87 yield substantially stronger constraints compared to existing bounds derived from Milky Way magnetic field considerations, with improvements ranging from one to five orders of magnitude depending on the frequency band, thereby enhancing the prospects for probing high-frequency gravitational wave backgrounds through indirect electromagnetic signatures.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Photon-dark photon oscillation in M87 and Crab Nebula environments

Compact astrophysical systems such as neutron stars and black holes provide powerful laboratories for testing feebly coupled dark photons (DPs). We investigate light DPs kinetically mixed with the visible photon that need not be the dark matter, focusing on resonant photon-DP oscillations in magnetized, modeled plasma environments. We show that realistic non-monotonic plasma density profiles generically enhance resonant conversion relative to monotonic models, leading to substantially stronger constraints on the photon-DP kinetic mixing parameter ($\epsilon$). Using spectral data from the supermassive black hole (SMBH) M87*, extending to the LOFAR band, we derive a bound $\epsilon \simeq 7\times10^{-6}$ at the DP mass $m_{A'} \simeq 5\times10^{-7}\,\mathrm{eV}$ for oscillation distance $3r_{\rm ph}$, where $r_{\rm ph}$ denotes the photon sphere radius. From the Crab pulsar-wind Nebula, we obtain an even stronger constraint, $\epsilon \simeq 8\times10^{-7}$ at $m_{A'} \simeq 4\times10^{-9}\,\mathrm{eV}$ for oscillation baselines of order $10^{3}\,\mathrm{km}$, surpassing existing astrophysical limits in realistic plasma backgrounds. While laboratory and cosmological bounds remain slightly stronger at comparable masses, observation of compact objects with larger surface magnetic fields and measurements of photon spectra at lower frequencies would enhance the limits on the photon-DP coupling by orders of magnitude.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Constraining eV-scale axion-like particle dark matter: insights from the M87 Galaxy

Axion-like particles (ALPs) can account for the observed dark matter (DM) of the Universe and if their masses are at the eV scale, they can decay into infrared, optical and ultraviolet photons with a decay lifetime larger than the age of the Universe.We analyze multi-wavelength data obtained from the central region of Messier 87 (M87) galaxy by several telescopes, such as, Swift, Astrosat, Kanata, Spitzer and International Ultraviolet Explorer in the infrared to ultraviolet frequencies ($\sim 2\times10^{14} \, {\rm Hz} - 3\times10^{15}$ Hz), to constrain the narrow emission lines indicative of the eV scale ALP DM decay. We derive constraints on the ALP coupling to two photons ($g_{aγγ}$) for ALP mass range $2 \, {\rm eV} \lesssim m_a \lesssim 20 \, {\rm eV}$, assuming ALPs form the DM in the M87 halo. We find that our bounds on ALP-two-photon coupling can become stronger than the existing ones by an order of magnitude in the ALP mass range $8 \, {\rm eV} \lesssim m_a \lesssim 20 \, {\rm eV}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Exploring Ultralight Dark Matter Self-Coupling via the Gravitational Wave Background

Supermassive black hole (SMBH) binary mergers are a primary source of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) in the nanohertz band, now being actively probed by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). We investigate how ultralight dark matter (ULDM) with a quartic self-interaction, forming solitonic cores around SMBHs, modifies the SGWB through dynamical friction on the inspiralling binary. Solving the Gross--Pitaevskii--Poisson (GPP) equations numerically for halo masses $M_{\rm halo}\sim 10^{13}\,M_{\odot}$, we compute self-consistent solitonic density profiles across a range of dimensionless self-coupling parameters $\hat{\lambda}$, covering both attractive and repulsive self-interactions. We find that soliton-induced dynamical friction imprints a characteristic suppression feature in the GW strain spectrum, whose frequency location and depth are sensitive to both the ULDM mass $m$ and the coupling $\hat\lambda$. For SMBH masses $M_{\bullet}\sim 10^{8.5}\,M_{\odot}$ and ULDM masses in the range $m\sim(3\times10^{-22}-2\times10^{-21})\,\mathrm{eV}$, current PTA observations from NANOGrav, EPTA, and PPTA may place qualitative limits on the attractive and repulsive self-coupling of ULDM particles. ULDM masses exceeding ${\sim}\,1.6\times10^{-21}\,\mathrm{eV}$ are independently excluded by soliton accretion-timescale constraints. These results demonstrate that the nanohertz GW spectrum provides a complementary probe of ULDM self-interactions, operating in a regime distinct from conventional particle-scattering or rotation-curve analyses.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Exploring Axions through the Photon Ring of a Spherically Symmetric Black Hole

In this study, we examine the phenomenon of photon axion conversion occurring in the spacetime surrounding a black hole. Specifically, we focus on the potential existence of a magnetic field around the supermassive black hole M87*, which could facilitate the conversion of photons into axions in close proximity to the photon sphere. While photons traverse through the curved spacetime, they spend time near the photon sphere, where conversion of these photons into axions takes place. Consequently, this process leads to a decrease in the intensity of the black hole's photon ring. To explore the possibilities of detecting these hypothetical axion particles, we propose observing the photon sphere using higher resolution telescopes. By doing so, we can gain valuable insights into the conversion mechanism as well as the nature of the spherically symmetric black hole geometry. Moreover, we also investigate how the photon ring luminosities are affected if the black hole possesses a charge parameter. For instance apart from U(1) electric charge, the presence of extra dimension may induce a {\em tidal charge} with a characteristic signature. It is important to note that the success of the conversion mechanism relies on the axion-photon coupling and mass. As a result, the modified luminosity of the black hole's photon ring offers a valuable means of constraining the axion's mass and coupling parameter within a certain range. Thus our findings contribute to a better understanding of photon axion conversion in the environment of a black hole spacetime and helps us explore the possible existence of extra spatial dimension.

gr-qc↗