Efficient search method of anomalous reflection by the central object in an EMRI system by future space gravitational wave detectors

TL;DR

This paper proposes an efficient method to detect signatures of hypothetical reflecting boundaries near black holes in EMRI waveforms, leveraging periodic oscillations in energy and angular momentum loss rates for future gravitational wave data analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a simple detection technique exploiting waveform oscillations caused by reflecting boundaries, enhancing search efficiency for future space-based gravitational wave detectors.

Findings

Reflecting boundaries cause periodic oscillations in waveform energy loss rates.

The proposed method can detect these signatures with minimal additional computational cost.

This approach improves the search for exotic near-horizon physics in EMRI signals.

Abstract

In our previous work we investigated the effect of the hypothetical reflecting boundary near the black hole event horizon on the waveform from extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs). Even if the reflection efficiency is not extremely high, we found that a significant modification of the waveform can be expected. Then, the question is how to implement the search for this signature in the actual data analysis of future space gravitational wave antennas, such as LISA. In this paper we propose a simple but efficient method to detect the signature of the reflecting boundary. The interesting feature of the effect of the reflecting boundary on the orbital evolution of EMRIs is that the energy and angular momentum loss rates periodically oscillate in the frequency domain. The oscillation period is corresponding to the inverse time scale for the round trip of gravitational waves between the hypothetical boundary and the angular momentum barrier. We will show that this peculiar feature allows to detect the signature of the reflecting boundary without much additional computational cost.