Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors to Distinguish Neutron Stars from Black Holes

This research explores the ability of proposed gravitational wave detectors with increased high-frequency sensitivity, such as NEMO, Cosmic Explorer, and the Einstein Telescope, to distinguish between binary neutron star (BNS) mergers and binary low-mass black hole (BLMBH) mergers. The early inspiral phase of these mergers produces highly similar gravitational wave signals, making it challenging to determine the astrophysical origin of recently detected low-mass compact binary coalescences, especially in the absence of electromagnetic counterparts. The study demonstrates that these advanced detectors will reliably distinguish these two source classes in the late inspiral and postmerger regimes. Furthermore, the researchers show how these detections can be used to disentangle the individual contributions of BNS and BLMBH systems to the compact binary merger rate, while accounting for misclassification probabilities. This analysis can also lead to constraints on the interaction of heavy, non-annihilating dark matter with nucleons. The capture of such dark matter particles into neutron stars would lead to transmuted black holes (TBHs), formed via neutron star collapse, which would contribute to the BLMBH rate. This research highlights the potential of advanced gravitational wave detectors to provide valuable insights into the nature of compact binaries and the properties of dark matter. The ability to distinguish between BNS and BLMBH mergers will enable more accurate measurements of the compact binary merger rate and improve our understanding of the formation and evolution of these systems. The potential to constrain dark matter interactions through gravitational wave observations offers a new avenue for exploring the nature of dark matter.

Transparency: This analysis is based solely on the provided research paper abstract. No external information was used. The AI model is Gemini 2.5 Flash.

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