Stringent Constraints on Gravitational Wave Signatures of Dark Electromagnetism in Neutron Star Binaries

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential for gravitational wave observations to detect dark electromagnetic forces in neutron star binaries, concluding that such signatures are highly constrained and unlikely to be observable without extreme fine-tuning.

Contribution

It provides a critical analysis of the conditions under which dark electromagnetic signatures could be detectable in gravitational wave data, emphasizing the constraints imposed by repulsive vector forces.

Findings

Dark electromagnetic signatures are strongly constrained by repulsive vector forces.

Detectable signals require extreme fine-tuning of particle physics parameters.

Current and near-future gravitational wave observatories are unlikely to detect these signatures.

Abstract

Gravitational wave interferometers have studied compact object mergers and solidified our understanding of strong gravity. Their increasing precision raises the possibility of detecting new physics, especially in a neutron star binary system that may contain hidden-sector particles. In particular, a new vector force between binary constituents, giving rise to dark electromagnetic phenomena, could measurably alter the inspiral waveforms and thus be constrained by gravitational wave observations. In this work, we critically examine the mechanisms for neutron stars to acquire enough hidden-sector particles with requisite couplings to furnish a detectable signature from dark electromagnetism. We demonstrate that the repulsive nature of vector forces imposes stringent constraints on any putative particle physics model or astrophysical environment which could give rise to such gravitational signatures. We argue that absent an extreme fine-tuning of parameters, such signatures are well out of reach of any current or near-future gravitational wave observatory.