Nils Siemonsen (Princeton U.)

Probing new physics with gravitational waves

Abstract: With the advent of gravitational wave astronomy, previously inaccessible new physics may enter the realm of detectability.
In this talk, I will describe several avenues through which new physics
may leave imprints in gravitational wave detectors. First, ultralight scalar and vector degrees of freedom trigger the superradiance process around spinning black holes, leaving smoking-gun signatures in both emitted gravitational waves and black hole population properties. Second, inspiraling dark compact objects may produce unique gravitational waveforms that may be distinguishable from those of binary black holes and neutron stars. Lastly, black hole mimickers are able to produce gravitational wave bursts in the ringdown phase possibly rendering high-energy physics experimentally accessible.