Dephasing in binary black hole mergers surrounded by scalar wave dark matter clouds

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Autori principali: Cheng, Cheng-Hsin, Ficarra, Giuseppe, Witek, Helvi
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Cheng, Cheng-Hsin
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Witek, Helvi
author_facet Cheng, Cheng-Hsin
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Witek, Helvi
contents Scalar fields of masses between $10^{-21}\rm{eV}/c^2$ and $10^{-11} \rm{eV}/c^2$ can exhibit enhanced gravitational interactions with black holes, and form scalar clouds around them. Such a cloud modifies the dynamics of a coalescing black-hole binary, and the resulting gravitational waves may provide a new channel to detect light scalar fields, such as axion-like particles or wave-like dark matter candidates. In this work we simulate a series of black-hole mergers with mass ratios $q=1$ and $q=1/2$, immersed in an scalar field overdensity with masses in the range $Mμ_{\rm{S}} \in[0,1.0]$. To do so, we implemented a constraint-satisfying initial data solver based on the puncture method, we improved the accuracy of our open-source software Canuda to eighth order finite differences, and we reduced the initial orbital eccentricity. We investigate the impact of the scalar mass on the gravitational and scalar radiation. We find that binaries can undergo a delayed or an accelerated merger with respect to the vacuum. Our study highlights the challenge and importance of accurately modeling black-hole binaries in dark matter environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_20037
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dephasing in binary black hole mergers surrounded by scalar wave dark matter clouds
Cheng, Cheng-Hsin
Ficarra, Giuseppe
Witek, Helvi
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Scalar fields of masses between $10^{-21}\rm{eV}/c^2$ and $10^{-11} \rm{eV}/c^2$ can exhibit enhanced gravitational interactions with black holes, and form scalar clouds around them. Such a cloud modifies the dynamics of a coalescing black-hole binary, and the resulting gravitational waves may provide a new channel to detect light scalar fields, such as axion-like particles or wave-like dark matter candidates. In this work we simulate a series of black-hole mergers with mass ratios $q=1$ and $q=1/2$, immersed in an scalar field overdensity with masses in the range $Mμ_{\rm{S}} \in[0,1.0]$. To do so, we implemented a constraint-satisfying initial data solver based on the puncture method, we improved the accuracy of our open-source software Canuda to eighth order finite differences, and we reduced the initial orbital eccentricity. We investigate the impact of the scalar mass on the gravitational and scalar radiation. We find that binaries can undergo a delayed or an accelerated merger with respect to the vacuum. Our study highlights the challenge and importance of accurately modeling black-hole binaries in dark matter environments.
title Dephasing in binary black hole mergers surrounded by scalar wave dark matter clouds
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.20037