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Main Authors: Chen, Yuezhe, Wang, Pan-Pan, Wang, Bo, Luo, Rui, Shao, Cheng-Gang
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07158
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author Chen, Yuezhe
Wang, Pan-Pan
Wang, Bo
Luo, Rui
Shao, Cheng-Gang
author_facet Chen, Yuezhe
Wang, Pan-Pan
Wang, Bo
Luo, Rui
Shao, Cheng-Gang
contents The existence of dark matter is supported by multiple astrophysical observations, yet its particle nature remains unknown. The development of gravitational wave astronomy, especially with future space-based detectors such as LISA, provides new opportunities to study the interactions between dark matter and compact-object systems. This review summarizes the main dark matter candidates and their macroscopic distributions, and highlights three mechanisms through which dark matter can affect gravitational wave observations: (1) modifications to compact-object orbits and the dynamics of systems such as extreme mass-ratio inspirals, including dark matter spikes, dynamical friction, and potential perturbations; (2) gravitational lensing effects induced by the spatial distribution of dark matter, altering waveform amplitudes and phases; and (3) direct couplings between ultralight dark matter fields and detectors. As low-frequency gravitational wave detection techniques are proposed and continue to develop, these effects may offer a novel avenue for probing the properties of dark matter, and combining precise waveform modeling with multi-messenger observations could reveal insights into its microscopic structure.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_07158
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Impact of Dark Matter on Gravitational Wave Detection by Space-based Interferometers
Chen, Yuezhe
Wang, Pan-Pan
Wang, Bo
Luo, Rui
Shao, Cheng-Gang
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
The existence of dark matter is supported by multiple astrophysical observations, yet its particle nature remains unknown. The development of gravitational wave astronomy, especially with future space-based detectors such as LISA, provides new opportunities to study the interactions between dark matter and compact-object systems. This review summarizes the main dark matter candidates and their macroscopic distributions, and highlights three mechanisms through which dark matter can affect gravitational wave observations: (1) modifications to compact-object orbits and the dynamics of systems such as extreme mass-ratio inspirals, including dark matter spikes, dynamical friction, and potential perturbations; (2) gravitational lensing effects induced by the spatial distribution of dark matter, altering waveform amplitudes and phases; and (3) direct couplings between ultralight dark matter fields and detectors. As low-frequency gravitational wave detection techniques are proposed and continue to develop, these effects may offer a novel avenue for probing the properties of dark matter, and combining precise waveform modeling with multi-messenger observations could reveal insights into its microscopic structure.
title The Impact of Dark Matter on Gravitational Wave Detection by Space-based Interferometers
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07158