arXiv subjects

Valeria Ferrari

Publications and source records attributed to Valeria Ferrari.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Tuning electrochemical properties and thermal stability of YSZ mesoporous thin films for SOFC applications

Dense and mesoporous 4% mol Yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films were deposited on amorphous silica substrates. The effects of the temperature on the mesostructure were analyzed, by applying different thermal treatments to the samples within the range of SOFC operation conditions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements rendered evidence of a single mechanism, consistent with grain boundary/surface oxide ion conduction. Our results show that the presence of the highly accessible porosity improves the superficial ionic conductivity, reducing the activation energy of the overall process. Density functional theory calculations on the (110) surface were performed to estimate the associated energy barriers. Our results suggest that ionic transport along the surface of accessible pores connected to the atmosphere could account for the observed reduction in activation energy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Perturbed black holes in Einstein-dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet gravity: Stability, ringdown, and gravitational-wave emission

Gravitational waves emitted by distorted black holes---such as those arising from the coalescence of two neutron stars or black holes---carry not only information about the corresponding spacetime but also about the underlying theory of gravity. Although general relativity remains the simplest, most elegant and viable theory of gravitation, there are generic and robust arguments indicating that it is not the ultimate description of the gravitational universe. Here we focus on a particularly appealing extension of general relativity, which corrects Einstein's theory through the addition of terms which are second order in curvature: the topological Gauss-Bonnet invariant coupled to a dilaton. We study gravitational-wave emission from black holes in this theory, and {\bf(i)} find strong evidence that black holes are linearly (mode) stable against both axial and polar perturbations; {\bf(ii)} discuss how the quasinormal modes of black holes can be excited during collisions involving black holes, and finally {\bf(iii)} show that future ringdown detections with large signal-to-noise ratio would improve current constraints on the coupling parameter of the theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Spectroscopy of binary black hole ringdown using overtones and angular modes

The black hole uniqueness and the no-hair theorems imply that the quasinormal spectrum of any astrophysical black hole is determined solely by its mass and spin. The countably infinite number of quasinormal modes of a Kerr black hole are thus related to each other and any deviations from these relations provide a strong hint for physics beyond the general theory of relativity. To test the no-hair theorem using ringdown signals, it is necessary to detect at least two quasinormal modes. In particular, one can detect the fundamental mode along with a subdominant overtone or with another angular mode, depending on the mass ratio and the spins of the progenitor binary. Also in the light of the recent discovery of GW190412, studying how the mass ratio affects the prospect of black hole spectroscopy using overtones or angular modes is pertinent, and this is the major focus of our study. First, we provide ready-to-use fits for the amplitudes and phases of both the angular modes and overtones as a function of mass ratio $q\in[0,10]$. Using these fits we estimate the minimum signal-to-noise ratio for detectability, resolvability, and measurability of subdominant modes/tones. We find that performing black-hole spectroscopy with angular modes is preferable when the binary mass ratio is larger than $q\approx 1.2$ (provided that the source is not located at a particularly disfavoured inclination angle). For nonspinning, equal-mass binary black holes, the overtones seem to be the only viable option to perform a spectroscopy test of the no-hair theorem. However this would require a large ringdown signal-to-noise ratio ($\approx 100$ for a $5\%$ accuracy test with two overtones) and the inclusion of more than one overtone to reduce modelling errors, making black-hole spectroscopy with overtones impractical in the near future.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Distinguishing double neutron star from neutron star-black hole binary populations with gravitational wave observations

Gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars cannot be easily distinguished from those produced by a comparable-mass mixed binary in which one of the companions is a black hole. Low-mass black holes are interesting because they could form in the aftermath of the coalescence of two neutron stars, from the collapse of massive stars, from matter overdensities in the primordial Universe, or as the outcome of the interaction between neutron stars and dark matter. Gravitational waves carry the imprint of the internal composition of neutron stars via the so-called tidal deformability parameter, which depends on the stellar equation of state and is equal to zero for black holes. We present a new data analysis strategy powered by Bayesian inference and machine learning to identify mixed binaries, hence low-mass black holes, using the distribution of the tidal deformability parameter inferred from gravitational-wave observations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

A new method to constrain neutron star structure from quasi-periodic oscillations

We develop a new method to measure neutron star parameters and derive constraints on the equation of state of dense matter by fitting the frequencies of simultaneous Quasi Periodic Oscillation modes observed in the X-ray flux of accreting neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries. To this aim we calculate the fundamental frequencies of geodesic motion around rotating neutron stars based on an accurate general-relativistic approximation for their external spacetime. Once the fundamental frequencies are related to the observed frequencies through a QPO model, they can be fit to the data to obtain estimates of the three parameters describing the spacetime, namely the neutron star mass, angular momentum and quadrupole moment. From these parameters we derive information on the neutron star structure and equation of state. We present a proof of principle of our method applied to pairs of kHz QPO frequencies observed from three systems (4U1608-52, 4U0614+09 and 4U1728-34). We identify the kHz QPOs with the azimuthal and the periastron precession frequencies of matter orbiting the neutron star, and via our Bayesian inference technique we derive constraints on the neutrons stars' masses and radii. This method is applicable to other geodesic-frequency-based QPO models.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Black holes and gravitational waves in models of minicharged dark matter

In viable models of minicharged dark matter, astrophysical black holes might be charged under a hidden $U(1)$ symmetry and are formally described by the same Kerr-Newman solution of Einstein-Maxwell theory. These objects are unique probes of minicharged dark matter and dark photons. We show that the recent gravitational-wave detection of a binary black-hole coalescence by aLIGO provides various observational bounds on the black hole's charge, regardless of its nature. The pre-merger inspiral phase can be used to constrain the dipolar emission of (ordinary and dark) photons, whereas the detection of the quasinormal modes set an upper limit on the final black hole's charge. By using a toy model of a point charge plunging into a Reissner-Nordstrom black hole, we also show that in dynamical processes the (hidden) electromagnetic quasinormal modes of the final object are excited to considerable amplitude in the gravitational-wave spectrum only when the black hole is nearly extremal. The coalescence produces a burst of low-frequency dark photons which might provide a possible electromagnetic counterpart to black-hole mergers in these scenarios.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Ringdown overtones, black hole spectroscopy, and no-hair theorem tests

Validating the black-hole no-hair theorem with gravitational-wave observations of compact binary coalescences provides a compelling argument that the remnant object is indeed a black hole as described by the general theory of relativity. This requires performing a spectroscopic analysis of the post-merger signal and resolving the frequencies of either different angular modes or overtones (of the same angular mode). For a nearly-equal mass binary black-hole system, only the dominant angular mode ($l=m=2$) is sufficiently excited and the overtones are instrumental to perform this test. Here we investigate the robustness of modelling the post-merger signal of a binary black hole coalescence as a superposition of overtones. Further, we study the bias expected in the recovered frequencies as a function of the start time of a spectroscopic analysis and provide a computationally cheap procedure to choose it based on the interplay between the expected statistical error due to the detector noise and the systematic errors due to waveform modelling. Moreover, since the overtone frequencies are closely spaced, we find that resolving the overtones is particularly challenging and requires a loud ringdown signal. Rayleigh's resolvability criterion suggests that in an optimistic scenario a ringdown signal-to-noise ratio larger than $\sim 30$ (achievable possibly with LIGO at design sensitivity and routinely with future interferometers such as Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer, and LISA) is necessary to resolve the overtone frequencies. We then conclude by discussing some conceptual issues associated with black-hole spectroscopy with overtones.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Constraining the neutron star equation of state using multi-band independent measurements of radii and tidal deformabilities

Using a Bayesian approach, we combine measurements of neutron star macroscopic observables obtained by astrophysical and gravitational observations, to derive joint constraints on the equation of state (EoS) of matter at supranuclear density. In our analysis we use two sets of data: (i) the masses and tidal deformabilities measured in the binary neutron star event GW170817, detected by LIGO and Virgo; (ii) the masses and stellar radii measured from observations of nuclear bursts in accreting low-mass X-ray binaries. Using two different parametrizations of the equation of state, we compute the posteriorprobability distributions of the EoS parameters, using which we infer the posterior distribution for the radius and the mass of the two neutron stars of GW170817. The constraints we set on the radii are tighter than previous bounds.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

From micro to macro and back: probing near-horizon quantum structures with gravitational waves

Supermassive binaries detectable by the future space gravitational-wave interferometer LISA might allow to distinguish black holes from ultracompact horizonless objects, even when the latter are motivated by quantum-gravity considerations. We show that a measurement of very small tidal Love numbers at the level of $10\%$ accuracy (as achievable with "golden binaries") may also allow to distinguish between different models of these exotic compact objects, even when taking into account an intrinsic uncertainty in the object radius putatively due to quantum mechanics. We argue that there is no conceptual obstacle in performing these measurements, the main challenge remains the detectability of small tidal effects and an accurate waveform modelling. Our analysis uses only coordinate-independent quantities related to the proper radial distance and the total mass of the object.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics: a roadmap

The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics---dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem---all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Accretion in Strong Field Gravity with eXTP

In this paper we describe the potential of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry (eXTP) mission for studies related to accretion flows in the strong field gravity regime around both stellar-mass and supermassive black-holes. eXTP has the unique capability of using advanced 'spectral-timing-polarimetry' techniques to analyze the rapid variations with three orthogonal diagnostics of the flow and its geometry, yielding unprecedented insight into the inner accreting regions, the effects of strong field gravity on the material within them and the powerful outflows which are driven by the accretion process.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

On gravitational-wave echoes from neutron-star binary coalescences

A tentative detection of gravitational-wave echoes in the post-merger signal of GW170817 has been recently claimed at $4.2σ$ significance level. It has been speculated that the signal might provide evidence for near-horizon quantum structures in the remnant exotic object. We point out that if the remnant object is an ultracompact neutron star, echoes are expected for objects with radius only slightly smaller than that of an ordinary neutron star. The reported echoes at ~72 Hz are compatible with a toy model of incompressible star with mass approximately $M\in(2,3) M_\odot$ and radius close to the Buchdahl limit, R~9GM/(4c^2). If confirmed, low-frequency gravitational-wave echoes would be in tension with all current neutron-star models and would have dramatic implications for nuclear physics and gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Solving the relativistic inverse stellar problem through gravitational waves observation of binary neutron stars

The LIGO/Virgo collaboration has recently announced the direct detection of gravitational waves emitted in the coalescence of a neutron star binary. This discovery allows, for the first time, to set new constraints on the behavior of matter at supranuclear density, complementary with those coming from astrophysical observations in the electromagnetic band. In this paper we demonstrate the feasibility of using gravitational signals to solve the relativistic inverse stellar problem, i.e. to reconstruct the parameters of the equation of state (EoS) from measurements of the stellar mass and tidal Love number. We perform Bayesian inference of mock data, based on different models of the star internal composition, modeled through piecewise polytropes. Our analysis shows that the detection of a small number of sources by a network of advanced interferometers would allow to put accurate bounds on the EoS parameters, and to perform a model selection among the realistic equations of state proposed in the literature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Rotating black holes in Einstein-Dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet gravity with finite coupling

Among various strong-curvature extensions to General Relativity, Einstein-Dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet gravity stands out as the only nontrivial theory containing quadratic curvature corrections while being free from the Ostrogradsky instability to any order in the coupling parameter. We derive an approximate stationary and axisymmetric black-hole solution of this gravitational theory in closed form, which is quadratic in the black-hole spin angular momentum and of seventh order in the coupling parameter of the theory. This extends previous work that obtained the corrections to the metric only at the leading order in the coupling parameter, and allows us to consider values of the coupling parameter close to the maximum permitted by theoretical constraints. We compute some geometrical properties of this solution, such as the dilaton charge, the moment of inertia and the quadrupole moment, and its geodesic structure, including the innermost-stable circular orbit and the epicyclic frequencies for massive particles. The latter represent a valuable tool to test General Relativity against strong-curvature corrections through observations of the electromagnetic spectrum of accreting black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Probing Planckian corrections at the horizon scale with LISA binaries

Several quantum-gravity models of compact objects predict microscopic or even Planckian corrections at the horizon scale. We explore the possibility of measuring two model-independent, smoking-gun effects of these corrections in the gravitational waveform of a compact binary, namely the absence of tidal heating and the presence of tidal deformability. For events detectable by the future space-based interferometer LISA, we show that the effect of tidal heating dominates and allows one to constrain putative corrections down to the Planck scale. The measurement of the tidal Love numbers with LISA is more challenging but, in optimistic scenarios, it allows to constrain the compactness of a supermassive exotic compact object down to the Planck scale. Our analysis suggests that highly-spinning, supermassive binaries at 1-20 Gpc provide unparalleled tests of quantum-gravity effects at the horizon scale.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Exotic Compact Objects and How to Quench their Ergoregion Instability

Gravitational-wave astronomy can give us access to the structure of black holes, potentially probing microscopic or even Planckian corrections at the horizon scale, as those predicted by some quantum-gravity models of exotic compact objects. A generic feature of these models is the replacement of the horizon by a reflective surface. Objects with these properties are prone to the so-called ergoregion instability when they spin sufficiently fast. We investigate in detail a simple model consisting of scalar perturbations of a Kerr geometry with a reflective surface near the horizon. The instability depends on the spin, on the compactness, and on the reflectivity at the surface. The instability time scale increases only logarithmically in the black-hole limit and, for a perfectly reflecting object, this is not enough to prevent the instability from occurring on dynamical time scales. However, we find that an absorption rate at the surface as small as 0.4% (reflectivity coefficient as large as $|{\cal R}|^2=0.996$) is sufficient to quench the instability completely. Our results suggest that exotic compact objects are not necessarily ruled out by the ergoregion instability.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Evolution of a proto-neutron star with a nuclear many-body equation of state: Neutrino luminosity and gravitational wave frequencies

In a core-collapse supernova, a huge amount of energy is released in the Kelvin-Helmholtz phase subsequent to the explosion, when the proto-neutron star cools and deleptonizes as it loses neutrinos. Most of this energy is emitted through neutrinos, but a fraction of it can be released through gravitational waves. We model the evolution of a proto-neutron star in the Kelvin-Helmholtz phase using a general relativistic numerical code, and a recently proposed finite temperature, many-body equation of state; from this we consistently compute the diffusion coefficients driving the evolution. To include the many-body equation of state, we develop a new fitting formula for the high density baryon free energy at finite temperature and intermediate proton fraction. We estimate the emitted neutrino signal, assessing its detectability by present terrestrial detectors, and we determine the frequencies and damping times of the quasi-normal modes which would characterize the gravitational wave signal emitted in this stage.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Geodesic models of quasi-periodic-oscillations as probes of quadratic gravity

Future very-large-area X-ray instruments (for which the effective area is larger than $>3$m$^2$) will be able to measure the frequencies of quasi-periodic oscillations~(QPOs) observed in the X-ray flux from accreting compact objects with sub-percent precision. If correctly modeled, QPOs can provide a novel way to test the strong-field regime of gravity. By using the relativistic precession model and a modified version of the epicyclic resonance model, we develop a method to test general relativity against a generic class of theories with quadratic curvature corrections. With the instrumentation being studied for future missions such as eXTP, LOFT, or STROBE-X, a measurement of at least two QPO triplets from a stellar mass black hole can set stringent constraints on the coupling parameters of quadratic gravity.

astro-ph.HE↗