Stringent Constraints on Gravitational Wave Signatures of Dark Electromagnetism in Neutron Star Binaries

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Harris, Ian, Kahn, Yonatan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866912946095915008
author Harris, Ian
Kahn, Yonatan
author_facet Harris, Ian
Kahn, Yonatan
contents Gravitational wave interferometers have studied compact object mergers and solidified our understanding of strong gravity. Their increasing precision raises the possibility of detecting new physics, especially in a neutron star binary system that may contain hidden-sector particles. In particular, a new vector force between binary constituents, giving rise to dark electromagnetic phenomena, could measurably alter the inspiral waveforms and thus be constrained by gravitational wave observations. In this work, we critically examine the mechanisms for neutron stars to acquire enough hidden-sector particles with requisite couplings to furnish a detectable signature from dark electromagnetism. We demonstrate that the repulsive nature of vector forces imposes stringent constraints on any putative particle physics model or astrophysical environment which could give rise to such gravitational signatures. We argue that absent an extreme fine-tuning of parameters, such signatures are well out of reach of any current or near-future gravitational wave observatory.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_19586
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Stringent Constraints on Gravitational Wave Signatures of Dark Electromagnetism in Neutron Star Binaries
Harris, Ian
Kahn, Yonatan
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Gravitational wave interferometers have studied compact object mergers and solidified our understanding of strong gravity. Their increasing precision raises the possibility of detecting new physics, especially in a neutron star binary system that may contain hidden-sector particles. In particular, a new vector force between binary constituents, giving rise to dark electromagnetic phenomena, could measurably alter the inspiral waveforms and thus be constrained by gravitational wave observations. In this work, we critically examine the mechanisms for neutron stars to acquire enough hidden-sector particles with requisite couplings to furnish a detectable signature from dark electromagnetism. We demonstrate that the repulsive nature of vector forces imposes stringent constraints on any putative particle physics model or astrophysical environment which could give rise to such gravitational signatures. We argue that absent an extreme fine-tuning of parameters, such signatures are well out of reach of any current or near-future gravitational wave observatory.
title Stringent Constraints on Gravitational Wave Signatures of Dark Electromagnetism in Neutron Star Binaries
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19586