PIRSA:21020015

Tidal heating: a hunt for the horizon

Datta, S. (2021). Tidal heating: a hunt for the horizon. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/21020015

Datta, Sayak. Tidal heating: a hunt for the horizon. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 04, 2021, https://pirsa.org/21020015 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:21020015,
            doi = {10.48660/21020015},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/21020015},
            author = {Datta, Sayak},
            keywords = {Strong Gravity},
            language = {en},
            title = {Tidal heating: a hunt for the horizon},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2021},
            month = {feb},
            note = {PIRSA:21020015 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Sayak Datta IUCAA - The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI 10.48660/21020015
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

The defining feature of a classical black hole horizon is that it is a "perfect absorber". Any evidence showing otherwise

would indicate a departure from the standard black-hole picture. Due to the presence of the horizon, black holes in binaries exchange

energy with their orbit, which backreacts on the orbit. This is called tidal heating. Tidal heating can be used to test the presence of a horizon.

I will discuss the prospect of tidal heating as a discriminator between black holes and horizonless compact objects, especially supermassive ones, in LISA.

I will also discuss a similar prospect for distinguishing between neutron stars and black holes in the LIGO band.