Probing Strong-Field Gravity with Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals

Thirtha Karmakar
Dr. Colin DeGraf, Faculty Mentor

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be the first space-based gravitational-wave observatory sensitive to millihertz frequencies, enabling detection of long-duration signals from Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals (EMRIs). These systems occur when a stellar-mass compact object gradually spirals into a massive black hole at a galactic center, providing unique probes of strong-field General Relativity and the astrophysical environments of galactic nuclei. Because EMRIs can orbit for thousands of cycles before merging, their emitted gravitational waves encode detailed information about the surrounding spacetime geometry. In this project, we explore computational modeling of EMRI waveforms and investigate how signals evolve over long observation periods detectable by LISA. Using numerical tools, we examine how accurately black hole mass, spin, and orbital parameters can be measured. This work contributes to data analysis techniques for future LISA observations and demonstrates how EMRIs serve as powerful laboratories for testing gravity in the strong-field regime.

Keywords: EMRI, Black Hole, Gravitational Waves, LISA, Gravity, General Relativity

Topic(s):Physics
Astronomy

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA