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Extended Dark Objects Bent the Wave Differently

Finite lens size changes gravitational-wave diffraction and current data probe model space from 100 to 100,000 solar masses.

Published Updated Story ID: mp-2026-09-15-019
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Summary

Finite lens size changes gravitational-wave diffraction and current data probe model space from 100 to 100,000 solar masses.

Gravitational-wave lensing searches often approximate a compact object as a point. This study calculates the frequency-dependent waveform effects of extended dark lenses such as solitons and dark stars, finding that finite size matters once the lens radius exceeds its Einstein scale. Current gravitational-wave data provide complementary constraints for lens masses from roughly 100 to 100,000 solar masses, while future detectors extend the reach. The work sets model-dependent bounds; it does not report a dark-object detection.

Why it matters

Finite lens size changes gravitational-wave diffraction and current data probe model space from 100 to 100,000 solar masses.

Limits and context

  • The work sets model-dependent bounds; it does not report a dark-object detection.

Key claims

  1. Finite lens size changes gravitational-wave diffraction and current data probe model space from 100 to 100,000 solar masses.

    Qualification: The work sets model-dependent bounds; it does not report a dark-object detection.

    Evidence: source-2026-09-15-021

Sources

  1. arXiv preprint 2609.13369arXiv · primary research

Corrections

No corrections have been recorded for this story.