Related papers: Black Hole Echology: The Observer's Manual
The characteristic difference between a black hole and other exotic compact objects (ECOs) is the presence of the horizon. The horizon of a classical black hole acts as a one-way membrane. Due to this nature, any perturbation on the black…
New theoretical approaches developed in the last years predict that macroscopic quantum gravity effects in black holes should lead to modifications of the gravitational wave signals expected in the framework of classical general relativity,…
It is well-known that exotic compact objects (ECOs) are a class of objects categorised as Black Hole (BH) mimickers. ECOs have been shown to possess signatures distinguishing them from BHs. However, in our universe, no object exists in…
Most of compact binary systems are expected to circularize before the frequency of emitted gravitational waves (GWs) enters the sensitivity band of the ground based interferometric detectors. However, several mechanisms have been proposed…
The ringdown of the gravitational-wave signal from a merger of two black holes has been suggested as a probe of the structure of the remnant compact object, which may be more exotic than a black hole. It has been pointed out that there will…
We perform a long-duration Bayesian analysis of gravitational-wave data to constrain the near-horizon geometry of black holes formed in binary mergers. Deviations from the Kerr geometry are parameterized by replacing the horizon's absorbing…
The recent LIGO detection of gravitational waves from black-hole binaries offers the exciting possibility of testing gravitational theories in the previously inaccessible strong-field, highly relativistic regime. While the LIGO detections…
The first direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO collaboration, GW150914, marked the start of a new exciting era in astronomy, enabling the study of the Universe through a new messenger. Since then, the field has grown rapidly,…
Electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events usually involve neutron stars during compact binary coalescences. On the other hand, the community generally believes that electromagnetic emissions are hardly generated during the…
Although spinning black holes are shown to be stable in vacuum in general relativity, there exists exotic mechanisms that can convert the spin energy of black holes into gravitational waves. Such waves may be very weak in amplitude, since…
After a long wait, gravitational wave astronomy has finally begun. Binary black hole mergers are being detected by LIGO and Virgo, and theorists are starting to receive a wealth of data to be analized. At this point we can at long last…
It has been recently shown that observing pulses isolated from the gravitational radiation transient (also known as echoes) would prove the existence of exotic compact objects (ECOs). Many features of the ringdown signal can be reproduced…
We introduce a new technique to search for gravitational wave events from compact binary mergers that produce a clear signal only in a single gravitational wave detector, and marginal signals in other detectors. Such a situation can arise…
We study the impact of quantum corrections to gravitational waveforms on the gravitational wave memory effect. In certain quantum gravity theories and semi-classical frameworks, black holes (or other exotic compact objects) exhibit…
Context: The LIGO consortium announced the first direct detection of gravitation wave event GW150914 from two merging black holes; however the nature of the black holes are still not clear. Aims: We study whether electromagnetic radiation…
We use the data of several promising gravitational wave observations to obtain increasingly stringent bounds on near-horizon deviations of their sources from the Kerr geometry. A range of horizonless compact objects proposed as alternatives…
When formed through dynamical interactions, stellar-mass binary black holes may retain eccentric orbits ($e>0.1$ at 10 Hz) detectable by ground-based gravitational-wave detectors. Eccentricity can therefore be used to differentiate…
The origin of black hole mergers discovered by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave observatories is currently unknown. GW190521 is the heaviest black hole merger detected so far. Its observed high mass and possible spin-induced orbital…
Gravitational wave echoes have been proposed as a smoking-gun signature of exotic compact objects with near-horizon structure. Recently there have been observational claims that echoes are indeed present in stretches of data from Advanced…
The recently reported gravitational wave events GW$150914$ and GW$151226$ caused by the mergers of binary black holes [arXiv:1602.03841],[arXiv:1606.04855],[arXiv:1606.04856] provide a formidable way to set constraints on alternative metric…