PIRSA:25020044

Gravitational atoms and black hole binaries

Tomaselli, G. (2025). Gravitational atoms and black hole binaries. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/25020044

Tomaselli, Giovanni. Gravitational atoms and black hole binaries. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 18, 2025, https://pirsa.org/25020044 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25020044,
            doi = {10.48660/25020044},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/25020044},
            author = {Tomaselli, Giovanni},
            keywords = {Particle Physics},
            language = {en},
            title = {Gravitational atoms and black hole binaries},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2025},
            month = {feb},
            note = {PIRSA:25020044 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Giovanni Tomaselli

University of Amsterdam

Talk number
PIRSA:25020044
Collection
Talk Type
Subject
Abstract

Various models of physics beyond the Standard Model predict the existence of ultralight bosons. These particles can be produced through superradiant instabilities, which create boson clouds around rotating black holes, forming so-called "gravitational atoms". In this talk, I review a series of papers that study the interaction between a gravitational atom and a binary companion. The companion can induce transitions between bound states of the cloud (resonances), as well as transitions from bound to unbound states (ionization). These processes back-react on the binary’s dynamics and leave characteristic imprints on the emitted gravitational waves (GWs), providing direct information about the mass of the boson and the state of the cloud. However, some of the resonances may destroy the cloud before the binary enters the frequency band of future gravitational wave detectors. This destruction leaves a mark on the binary’s eccentricity and inclination, which can be identified through a statistical analysis of a population of binary black holes.