arXiv subjects

Wen-Biao Han

Publications and source records attributed to Wen-Biao Han.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Constraining the Deviation of Kerr Metric via Bumpy Parameterization and Particle Swarm Optimization in Extreme Mass-Ratio Inspirals

Measurement of deviations in the Kerr metric using gravitational wave (GW) observations will provide a clear signal of new Physics. Previous studies have developed multiple parameterizations (e.g. ``bumpy" spacetime) to characterize such deviations in extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRI) and employed analyses based on the Fisher information matrix (FIM) formalism to quantify the constraining power of space-borne GW detectors like LISA and Tianqin, e.g., achieving a constraint sensitivity levels of $10^{-4} \sim 10^{-2}$ on the dimensionless bumpy parameter $δ\tilde{Q}$ under varying source configurations in analytical kluge waveform for LISA. In this paper, we advance prior analyses by integrating particle swarm optimization (PSO) with matched filtering under a restricted parameter search range to enforce a high probability of convergence for PSO. Our results reveal a significant number of degenerate peaks in the likelihood function over the signal parameter space with values that exceed the injected one. This extreme level of degeneracy arises from the involvement of the additional bumpy parameter $δ\tilde{Q}$ in the parameter space and introduces systematic errors in parameter estimation. We show that these systematic errors can be mitigated using information contained in the ensemble of degenerate peaks, thereby restoring the reliability of astrophysical inferences about EMRI systems from GW observations. This study highlights the critical importance of accounting for such degeneracies, which are absent in FIM-based analyses, and points out future directions for improving EMRI data analysis.

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arXiv2025

Indication for a compact object next to a LIGO-Virgo binary black hole merger

The astrophysical origin of binary black hole (BBH) mergers remains uncertain, although many events have been observed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network. Such mergers are potentially originated in the vicinity of massive black holes (MBHs). GW190814, due to its secondary mass and mass ratio being beyond the expectations of isolated stellar evolution theories, is a promising event that has occurred in an active galactic nucleus (AGN) disk. In this model, a compact object resides in the vicinity of a merging BBH. Here we report multiple pieces of evidence suggesting that GW190814 is a BBH merging near a compact object. The orbital motion of BBHs around a third body produces a line-of-sight acceleration (LSA) and induces a varying Doppler shift. Using a waveform template that considers LSA, we perform Bayesian inference on a few BBH events with a high signal-to-noise ratio in the gravitational-wave (GW) transient catalog. Compared to the model for isolated BBH mergers, we obtain significantly higher network signal-to-noise ratios for GW190814 with the inclusion of LSA, constraining the LSA to $a = 0.0015^{+0.0008}_{-0.0008} ~c~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$ at a $90 \%$ confidence level. Additionally, the Bayes factor for the LSA case over the isolated case is $58/1$, indicating that the GW data strongly prefer the LSA model. We conclude that this is the first indication showing merging BBHs are located near a third compact object.

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arXiv2025

A New High-Performing Method for Solving the Homogeneous Teukolsky Equation

The numerical waveforms for the extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) require a huge amount of homogeneous solutions of the Teukolsky equation in the frequency domain. The calculation accuracy and efficiency of the homogeneous solutions are the key performance bottleneck in waveform generation. In this paper, we propose a new numerical method based on the analytical series expansion which is most efficient for computing the homogeneous solutions with very high accuracy and a wider frequency range compared with the existing methods. Our new method is definitely useful for constructing the waveform templates of EMRIs.

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arXiv2025

Secondary spins of extreme mass ratio inspirals: A probe to the formation channels

Extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs), consisting of a secondary (stellar mass) black hole (BH) orbiting around a supermassive BH, are one of the primary targets for future spaceborne gravitational wave (GW) detectors. The spin of the secondary BH encodes the formation history of the stellar mass BH and the formation process of the EMRI. In this work, we construct a kludge EMRI waveform model taking the secondary spin into account and preliminarily forecast the measurement precision of the secondary spin by future spaceborne GW detectors with the Fisher information matrix. We find the secondary spin might be measured with reasonably good precision for generic eccentric and inclined EMRIs, with the caveat that the predictive precision may be constrained by the model's inherent simplifications. As an example of its astrophysical applications, we propose that the secondary spin can be used for distinguishing dry (loss cone) EMRIs (where the secondary BHs were born in the collapse of individual massive stars and are of low spin) and Hills EMRIs (where the secondary BHs are remnants of massive star binaries and the secondary spins follow a bimodal distribution).

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Mapping inspiral-merger-ringdown waveforms of binary black holes from black hole perturbation waveforms by machine learning

Identifying weak gravitational wave signals in noise and estimating the source properties require high-precision waveform templates. Numerical relativity (NR) simulations can provide the most accurate waveforms. However, it is challenging to compute waveform templates in high-dimensional parameter space using NR simulations due to high computational costs. In this work, we implement a novel waveform mapping method, which is an alternative approach to the existing analytical approximations, based on closed-form continuous-time neural networks. This machine-learning-based method greatly improves the efficiency of calculating waveform templates for arbitrary source parameters, such as the binary mass ratio and the spins of component black holes. Based on this method, we present \textit{BHP2NRMLSur}, a class of models (including nonspinning and spin-aligned ones) that maps point-particle black hole perturbation theory waveforms into NR and surrogate waveforms. The nonspinning model provides highly accurate waveforms that match the NR waveforms to the level of $\gtrsim 0.995$. The spin-aligned model reduces the required input parameters and hence improves the efficiency of the waveform generation -- it takes a factor of $\sim 50$ less time than existing NR surrogate models to generate $100,000$ waveforms, with a mismatch of $<0.01$ compared to the NR waveforms from the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes collaboration.

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arXiv2025

Distinguishing compact objects in extreme-mass-ratio inspirals by gravitational waves

Extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are promising gravitational-wave (GW) sources for space-based GW detectors. EMRI signals typically have long durations, ranging from several months to several years, necessitating highly accurate GW signal templates for detection. In most waveform models, compact objects in EMRIs are treated as test particles without accounting for their spin, mass quadrupole, or tidal deformation. In this study, we simulate GW signals from EMRIs by incorporating the spin and mass quadrupole moments of the compact objects. We evaluate the accuracy of parameter estimation for these simulated waveforms using the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) and find that the spin, tidal-induced quadruple, and spin-induced quadruple can all be measured with precision ranging from $10^{-2}$ to $10^{-1}$, particularly for a mass ratio of $\sim$$10^{-4}$. Assuming the ``true'' GW signals originate from an extended body inspiraling into a supermassive black hole, we compute the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and Bayes factors between a test-particle waveform template and our model, which includes the spin and quadrupole of the compact object. Our results show that the spin of compact objects can produce detectable deviations in the waveforms across all object types, while tidal-induced quadrupoles are only significant for white dwarfs, especially in cases approaching an intermediate-mass ratio. Spin-induced quadrupoles, however, have negligible effects on the waveforms. Therefore, our findings suggest that it is possible to distinguish primordial black holes from white dwarfs, and, under certain conditions, neutron stars can also be differentiated from primordial black holes.

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arXiv2025

Inferring the cosmological constant in early Universe only by gravitational waves

The expansion of the Universe is accelerating which can be interpreted as due to the cosmological constant $Λ$. In this study, we investigate the behavior of gravitational waves in the presence of a cosmological constant in the early universe. We rigorously analyze the merger rate of binary primordial black holes (PBHs) and the corresponding signal-to-noise ratio within the framework of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We find that binary PBHs with a total mass of $M_{\mathrm{tot}}=1000M_{\odot}$ and a redshift larger than $z=500$ are the ideal system for studying the effect of the cosmological constant through LISA. By computing the fisher information matrix, we establish that the cosmological constant can be effectively constrained.

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arXiv2025

Assessing the systematic errors of extreme-mass-ratio inspirals waveforms for testing general relativity

Gravitational wave (GW) observations from extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are powerful tools for testing general relativity (GR). However, systematic errors arising from waveform models could potentially lead to incorrect scientific conclusions. These errors can be divided into two main categories: fundamental bias (due to limitations in the validity of the Einstein field equations) and modeling error (due to inaccuracies in waveform templates). Using Bayesian inference, we investigate the impact of these systematic errors on tests of GR. Regarding fundamental bias, we find that at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), there is a risk of misidentifying a non-GR EMRI signal as a GR-EMRI one, and vice versa. However, this risk diminishes as the SNR increases to around 40 or higher. Additionally, modeling errors might reduce the SNR of detected EMRI signals and could be misinterpreted as deviations from GR, leading Bayesian inference to favor non-GR scenarios, especially at high SNR. We emphasize the importance of developing sufficiently accurate waveform templates based on alternative gravity theories for testing GR.

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arXiv2025

Tests of gravitational wave propagation with LIGO-Virgo catalog

In the framework of general relativity (GR), gravitational waves (GWs) travel at the speed of light across all frequencies. However, massive gravity and weak equivalence principle (WEP) violation may lead to frequency-dependent variations in the propagation speed of GWs, which can be examined by comparing the theoretical and observed discrepancies in the arrival times of GW signals at various frequencies. This provides us with an opportunity to test these theories. For massive gravity, we consider that gravitons may have a nonzero rest mass. For WEP violations, we hypothesize that different massless particles exposed to the same gravitational source should exhibit varying gravitational time delays. The gravitational time delay induced by massive gravitational sources is proportional to $γ+1$, where the parameter $γ=1$ in GR. Therefore, we can quantify these two deviations using phenomenological parameters $m_g$ and $|Δγ|$, respectively. In this study, we use selected GW data from binary black hole coalescences in the LIGO-Virgo catalogs GWTC-2.1 and GWTC-3 to place constraints on the parameters $m_g$ and $|Δγ|$. We analyze the relationship between $m_g$ and luminosity distance,as well as between $|Δγ|$ and both luminosity distance sky location of GW events to determine the presence of graviton mass and WEP violation. Nevertheless, we find no evidence of such relationships. We also compute Bayes factors for models that assume the existence of graviton mass and WEP violation compared to the standard GW model, respectively. The absolute value of the natural logarithm of the Bayes factor is generally less than 2. Our analysis reveals no significant preference for either model. Additionally, the Bayes factors between these two models do not provide obvious evidence in favor of either one.

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arXiv2024

The imprint of cosmic expansion history on the propagation of gravitational waves

Gravitational waves (GWs) are regarded as standard sirens for Cosmology. GWs from compact binary coalescence (CBC) can directly determine the luminosity distance but usually can not obtain information about the redshift. However, if the universe is not flat but accelerating, GWs should carry this cosmological effect. In this Letter, for the first time, we explore how the expansion of the Universe affects GW propagation by perturbing the Robertson-Walker metric. We achieve a comprehensive and rigorous formalism at the next-leading order to describe the cosmological acceleration in GWs from any kind of sources. Theoretically, this cosmological effect will obviously amplify GWs at frequencies as low as $10^{-12}$ Hz.

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arXiv2024

The Effect of Higher Harmonics On Gravitational Wave Dark Sirens

The gravitational wave (GW) signal from the merger of two black holes can serve as a standard sirens for cosmological inference. However, a degeneracy exists between the luminosity distance and the inclination angle between the binary system's orbital angular momentum and the observer's line of sight, limiting the precise measurement of the luminosity distance. In this study, we investigate how higher harmonics affect luminosity distance estimation for third-generation (3G) GW detectors in binary black hole mergers. Our findings demonstrate that considering higher harmonics significantly enhances distance inference results compared with using only the (2,2) mode. This improved accuracy in distance estimates also strengthens constraints on host galaxies, enabling more precise measurements of the Hubble constant. These results highlight the significant influence of higher harmonics on the range estimation accuracy of 3G ground-based GW detectors.

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arXiv2023

Resolving "dirty" effects around black holes by decoupling the Teukolsky equation

Detecting the environment around the supermassive black holes and tests of general relativity are important applications of extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs). There is still a challenge to efficiently describe various "dirty" impacts on the inspirals like dark matter, gas, dipole radiation, electromagnetic interaction, and so on. In this Letter, we find the inherent linearity of the asymptotic solution of the inhomogeneous Teukolsky equation. Based on this property, we completely decouple the factors of the perturber and the background spacetime in the energy fluxes and waveforms. With the new decoupling form, the waveforms of EMRIs with non-geodesic motion in Kerr spacetime can be calculated conveniently. This will help to resolve the environment (including gas, field, dark matter, electromagnetic interaction, etc.) around the supermassive black holes and test general relativity.

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arXiv2023

A full waveform model for arbitrarily axis-symmetric black hole mergers

In this work, we present a non-GR full waveform for general parametrization of axisymmetric black holes by extending our previous PSI model. Our model comprises two main components: an inspiral part obtained by using phenomenological method in frequency-domain and a ringdown part derived from quasinormal modes associated with photon motion. For quantitatively revealing the influence of the deviation from Kerr black holes on the waveforms, we specify our model to the bumpy black holes, which are typical examples of non-GR black holes. The results show that the deviation from the Kerr quadrupole moment could be measured in a high accuracy. The new waveform model can be directly used to test black holes for the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observations, the third generation detectors and space-borne interferometers.

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arXiv2023

Tests of no-hair theorem with binary black-hole coalescences

Test of the no-hair theorem is the primary target with gravitational waves from binary black holes. In this Letter, we analyze gravitational-wave data from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detection of binary black-hole mergers using the PSI_FD model, which is a non-general relativity full waveform template for arbitrary axisymmetric black holes. By analyzing two high signal-noise-ratio events, GW150914 and GW200129, the no-hair theorem is tested at a significance level of 95%, which is the best constraint until now. Especially, we find a significant deviation from the Kerr black hole in GW200129. More events and further analysis are needed to validate this deviation.

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arXiv2023

The detection, extraction and parameter estimation of extreme-mass-ratio inspirals with deep learning

One of the primary goals of space-borne gravitational wave detectors is to detect and analyze extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs). This endeavor presents a significant challenge due to the complex and lengthy EMRI signals, further compounded by their inherently faint nature. In this letter, we introduce a 2-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) approach to detect EMRI signals for space-borne detectors, achieving a true positive rate (TPR) of 96.9 % at a 1 % false positive rate (FPR) for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from 50 to 100. Especially, the key intrinsic parameters of EMRIs such as mass and spin of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) and the initial eccentricity of the orbit can be inferred directly by employing a VGG network. The mass and spin of the SMBH can be determined at 99 % and 92 % respectively. This will greatly reduce the parameter spaces and computing cost for the following Bayesian parameter estimation. Our model also has a low dependency on the accuracy of the waveform model. This study underscores the potential of deep learning methods in EMRI data analysis, enabling the rapid detection of EMRI signals and efficient parameter estimation .

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arXiv2023

Dynamics of null particles and shadow for general rotating black hole

The Johannsen black hole (BH) is a generic rotating BH admitting three constants of motions (energy, angular momentum, and Carter constant) and is characterized by four deviation parameters besides mass and spin, which could be a model-independent probe of the no-hair theorem. We systematically study the dynamics of null particles around Johannsen BH, revealing the effects of the deviation parameters on the BH shadow as well as the effects of spin. By using the shadow boundaries of M87* and SgrA*, for the first time, the deviation parameters of those BHs are constrained. The detailed results depend on the spin $a$ and inclination angle $ θ_0$. Assuming $a=0.2$ and $θ_0=15^{\circ}$, the deviation parameter $α_{13}$ are constained within $\sim $ [-3.5, 6] for M87* observation and [-3, 0.5] for SgrA* observation. We also show the images of a Johannsen BH surrounded by a Page-Thorne thin accretion disk observed by a remote observer with a ray-tracing method and discuss the effects of the deviation parameters on deforming the accretion disk image, which could be tested by observations with higher sensitivities in the future.

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arXiv2023

Prospect of detecting magnetic fields from strong-magnetized binary neutron stars

Binary neutron star mergers are unique sources of gravitational waves in multi-messenger astronomy. The inspiral phase of binary neutron stars can emit gravitational waves as chirp signals. The present waveform models of gravitational wave only considered the gravitational interaction. In this paper, we derive the waveform of the gravitational wave signal taking into account the presence of magnetic fields. We found that the electromagnetic interaction and radiation can introduce different frequency-dependent power laws for both amplitude and frequency of the gravitational wave. We show from the results of Fisher information matrix that the third-generation observation may detect magnetic dipole moments if the magnetic field is around 10^17 G.

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arXiv2023

Comparing Repeated Gravitational-Wave Bursts Emitted by Cosmic Strings

The principal energy loss mechanism in a Nambu-Goto cosmic string network involves loop production and the subsequent gravitational-wave emission. Recently, it has been shown that the loop oscillations produce repeated gravitational-wave bursts emitted at cusps. The calculations are extended to estimate the number of burst repeaters, including kink emissions and kink-kink collisions. Our findings indicate that despite the potentially large number of kinks, we anticipate observing a higher number of burst repeaters from cusps for both LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. We also conduct calculations using the second main loop distribution model in the current literature. We find that this model predicts a notably higher number of repeaters, which provides a reason to include it in future data analysis. These results offer insights into the potential observability of different loop features for future detectors, such as the space-based laser interferometers Taiji and TianQin.

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