Joint cosmology seminar at MIT:

Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 2:30 pm
Cosman Seminar Room\\
Center for Theoretical Physics\\
Building 6C, Room 6C-442\\
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Whispers from the dark: primordial black holes and gravitational waves

Valerio de Luca
Penn

Abstract:

Primordial black holes are a fascinating family of black holes born in the early universe and represent a candidate for the dark matter, particularly in the asteroidal mass range. After reviewing their formation mechanism, based on the collapse of large overdensities generated during an inflationary epoch, we discuss their evolution across the cosmic history, which includes phases of baryonic accretion, early structure formation and their assembly into binary systems. We then investigate the detectability of these cosmic relics through gravitational waves, focusing on signals emitted both at their formation epoch, due to the gravitational collapse of inflationary perturbations, and from the coalescence of primordial binary systems. Finally, we highlight smoking gun signatures to claim for their discovery at future gravitational wave experiments, such as Einstein Telescope and LISA. In particular, we emphasise the importance of tidal Love numbers in the search for subsolar black holes as a tool to distinguish them from other astrophysical objects.