Chennai Mathematical Institute

Seminars




Physics Seminar
Date: Thursday, 11 July 2024
Time: 1:45 PM
Venue: Seminar Hall
Tests of general relativity using gravitational wave observations and constraints on alternate theories of gravity

N. V. Krishnendu
ICTS-TIFR, Bangalore.
11-07-24


Abstract

Gravitational wave signals from merging compact binary systems provide unique avenues to perform tests of general relativity (GR) in the strong-field, dynamic and relativistic regime. Routinely employed tests of GR are theory-agnostic, meaning they do not assume a particular theory of gravity. However, as the gravitational wave (GW) transient catalogue grows in number and source diversity, it is mandatory to design theory-specific tests of GR to constrain beyond GR models using the data. We demonstrate a method to perform a theory-specific test of GR, focusing on the GW measurements of the BH charge parameter. First, we obtain the GW waveform, including the corrections due to the charge parameter, focusing on the tidal heating effect. Then, we perform Bayesian inference-based parameter estimation to quantify the measurability of the charge parameter considering various binary configurations. Finally, we discuss the prospects of performing the test employing future GW detector sensitivities.