Testing Quantum Gravity with Gravitational Waves from the ringdown of binary Black Holes coalescences: A New Frontier in Fundamental Physics

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational wave observations from black hole mergers can be used to test quantum gravity theories, focusing on the ringdown phase as a new avenue for fundamental physics research.

Contribution

It proposes using gravitational wave data, especially from ringdown signals, to investigate quantum gravity effects near black hole horizons, a novel approach in the field.

Findings

Potential to test quantum gravity models with gravitational wave data

Feasibility of analyzing ringdown signals for quantum effects

Future detectors will enhance the ability to probe quantum properties of black holes

Abstract

The observation of gravitational waves emitted during the merging phase of compact binary coalescing objects has opened a new field of investigation in fundamental physics. It is now possible to test the predictions of General Relativity with unprecedented precision in the strong gravitational field regime. These initial observations therefore call for further research, as the detection of gravitational waves emitted by coalescing black holes may allow the investigation of the properties of spacetime near the event horizon, also providing valuable information on the structure of these objects. This also opens the possibility of testing predictions from quantum gravity models regarding the presumed quantized structure of black holes, related to the quantization of their surface and, consequently, their entropy. In the future, the considerable amount of data obtained by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration will be followed by observations from next-generation interferometers such as the Einstein Telescope or the Cosmic Explorer. It is therefore of great interest to explore the potential of gravitational wave observations for investigating aspects of quantum gravity, which we will address considering the special case of the ringdown emission following the coalescence of binary black hole systems.