Can Gravitational Wave Data Shed Light on Dark Matter Particles ?

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational wave data from black hole mergers can impose constraints on quantum corrections to black hole entropy, potentially informing dark matter particle theories beyond the Standard Model.

Contribution

It introduces a consistency criterion based on Hawking Area Theorem validations that restricts the spectrum of quantum matter fluctuations, impacting dark matter particle models.

Findings

Constraints on quantum matter fluctuations restrict certain BSM particles.

Consistency with Hawking Area Theorem limits the spectrum of unobserved particles.

Potential implications for dark matter candidates in particle cosmology.

Abstract

Gravitational wave (GW) data from observed binary black hole coalescences (BBHC) have been demonstrated in recent analyses to validate the Hawking Area Theorem (HAT) for black hole horizons. The result of such analyses is imposed here as a criterion of {\it absolute} consistency on the logarithmic (in horizon area) corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking Area Formula (BHAF) for the black hole entropy, when these corrections are computed both from non-perturbative quantum fluctuations of spacetime in matter-free quantum general relativity, as well as arising due to perturbative quantum matter field fluctuations around a stationary classical black hole background spacetime. This criterion of absolute consistency is seen to be obeyed provided certain restrictions ensue on the spin-parity and number of species of the spectrum of quantum matter fluctuations. Such constraints appear to restrict the Beyond-Standard-Model (BSM) part of the matter fluctuation spectrum. Some species of the constrained, yet-unobserved BSM particle spectrum are currently under active consideration in particle cosmology as candidates for dark matter.