The inspirals of “small” (1 – 100 M⊙) compact bodies through highly relativistic orbits of massive (several × 105 M⊙ − several × 106 M⊙) black holes are among the most anticipated sources for the LISA gravitational‐wave antenna. The measurement of these waves is expected to map the spacetime of the larger body with high precision, allowing us to test in detail the hypothesis that black hole candidates are described by the Kerr metric of general relativity. In this article, we will briefly describe how these sources can be used to perform such a test. These proposed measurements are often described as “testing relativity”. This description is at best somewhat glib: Because — at least to date — all work related to these measurements assumes general relativity as the theoretical framework in which these tests are performed, the measurements cannot be said to “test relativity” in a fundamental way. More accurately, they test the nature of massive compact bodies within general relativity. A surprising result for such a test could point to deviations from general relativity, and would provide an experimentally motivated direction in which to pursue tests of gravity theories beyond GR.
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29 November 2006
LASER INTERFEROMETER SPACE ANTENNA: 6th International LISA Symposium
19-23 June 2006
Greenbelt, Maryland (USA)
Research Article|
November 29 2006
(Sort of) Testing relativity with extreme mass ratio inspirals
Scott A. Hughes
Scott A. Hughes
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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AIP Conf. Proc. 873, 233–240 (2006)
Citation
Scott A. Hughes; (Sort of) Testing relativity with extreme mass ratio inspirals. AIP Conf. Proc. 29 November 2006; 873 (1): 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2405049
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