Probing fundamental physics with Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals: a full Bayesian inference for scalar charge
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2026-01-21 v2
Abstract
Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals (EMRIs) are key sources for the future space-based gravitational wave detector LISA, and are considered promising probes of fundamental physics. Here, we present the first complete Bayesian analysis of EMRI signals in theories with an additional massless scalar, which could arise in an extension of General Relativity or of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. We develop a waveform model accurate at adiabatic order for equatorial eccentric orbits around spinning black holes. Using full Bayesian inference, we forecast LISA's ability to probe the presence of new fundamental fields with EMRI observations.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2406.07607,
title = {Probing fundamental physics with Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals: a full Bayesian inference for scalar charge},
author = {Lorenzo Speri and Susanna Barsanti and Andrea Maselli and Thomas P. Sotiriou and Niels Warburton and Maarten van de Meent and Alvin J. K. Chua and Ollie Burke and Jonathan Gair},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2406.07607},
year = {2026}
}