Quasi-normal modes ratios as agnostic test of general relativity

Fuente: arXiv
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Autor principal: Franchini, Nicola
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Franchini, Nicola
author_facet Franchini, Nicola
contents In this letter, we provide a novel test of general relativity based on ringdown analysis. The test is performed on agnostic models, where the postmerger signal is fitted with a superposition of damped sinusoids. If at least two modes are detected, one has to compute the ratio of the frequencies and of the damping times and compare them against the predictions of general relativity. By considering ratios, the dependency on the black hole's mass is scaled away. Most notably, we find that the ratios vary very little with the spin, the real part depends mostly on the angular momentum of the mode $\ell$ and the imaginary part depends mostly on the overtone number $n$: different combinations create specific mode islands. We provide a qualitative explanation of these islands through a semi-analytical argument. We discuss the application of the method to future detectors. Finally, we show that ratios in alternative theories of gravity or between different field content drastically differ from those of general relativity.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_02010
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quasi-normal modes ratios as agnostic test of general relativity
Franchini, Nicola
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
In this letter, we provide a novel test of general relativity based on ringdown analysis. The test is performed on agnostic models, where the postmerger signal is fitted with a superposition of damped sinusoids. If at least two modes are detected, one has to compute the ratio of the frequencies and of the damping times and compare them against the predictions of general relativity. By considering ratios, the dependency on the black hole's mass is scaled away. Most notably, we find that the ratios vary very little with the spin, the real part depends mostly on the angular momentum of the mode $\ell$ and the imaginary part depends mostly on the overtone number $n$: different combinations create specific mode islands. We provide a qualitative explanation of these islands through a semi-analytical argument. We discuss the application of the method to future detectors. Finally, we show that ratios in alternative theories of gravity or between different field content drastically differ from those of general relativity.
title Quasi-normal modes ratios as agnostic test of general relativity
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.02010