A mixture-model framework for combining gravitational-wave tests of General Relativity yields Bayes factors of 10-20 favoring GR, substantially lower than existing methods that assume uniform deviations across events.
GW190521 as a Merger of Proca Stars: A Potential New Vector Boson of 8.7×10 −13 eV
4 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
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abstract
Advanced LIGO-Virgo reported a short gravitational-wave signal (GW190521) interpreted as a quasi-circular merger of black holes, one populating the pair-instability supernova gap, forming a remnant black hole of $M_f\sim 142 M_\odot$ at a luminosity distance of $d_L \sim 5.3$ Gpc. With barely visible pre-merger emission, however, GW190521 merits further investigation of the pre-merger dynamics and even of the very nature of the colliding objects. We show that GW190521 is consistent with numerically simulated signals from head-on collisions of two (equal mass and spin) horizonless vector boson stars (aka Proca stars), forming a final black hole with $M_f = 231^{+13}_{-17}\,M_\odot$, located at a distance of $d_L = 571^{+348}_{-181}$ Mpc. The favoured mass for the ultra-light vector boson constituent of the Proca stars is $\mu_{\rm V}= 8.72^{+0.73}_{-0.82}\times10^{-13}$ eV. This provides the first demonstration of close degeneracy between these two theoretical models, for a real gravitational-wave event. Confirmation of the Proca star interpretation, which we find statistically slightly preferred, would provide the first evidence for a long sought dark matter particle.
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Fitting GRAVITY flare astrometry to solitonic boson star models requires masses larger than 4.3 million solar masses, with more diffuse models yielding values closer to the standard black hole mass and thus placing stringent but incomplete constraints on such interpretations of Sgr A*.
Bayesian analysis shows current near-IR astrometry data cannot distinguish massive boson stars from Schwarzschild black holes for Sgr A*.
citing papers explorer
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Testing General Relativity with GWTC-4.0 through mixture models
A mixture-model framework for combining gravitational-wave tests of General Relativity yields Bayes factors of 10-20 favoring GR, substantially lower than existing methods that assume uniform deviations across events.
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Testing solitonic boson star interpretations of Sagittarius A* with near-infrared flare astrometry
Fitting GRAVITY flare astrometry to solitonic boson star models requires masses larger than 4.3 million solar masses, with more diffuse models yielding values closer to the standard black hole mass and thus placing stringent but incomplete constraints on such interpretations of Sgr A*.
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Bayesian Analysis of Massive Boson Star Models for Sagittarius A* Using Near-Infrared Astrometry Data
Bayesian analysis shows current near-IR astrometry data cannot distinguish massive boson stars from Schwarzschild black holes for Sgr A*.
- Boson star-black hole binaries: initial data and head-on collisions