Multimessenger detection of black hole binaries in dark matter spikes

Dosopoulou, Fani and Silk, Joseph 2025. Multimessenger detection of black hole binaries in dark matter spikes. Physical Review Letters 135 (8) , 081401. 10.1103/hysg-5273

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Abstract

We investigate the inspiral of a high mass-ratio black hole binary located in the nucleus of a galaxy, where the primary central black hole is surrounded by a dense dark matter spike formed through accretion during the black hole growth phase. Within this spike, dark matter undergoes strong self-annihilation, producing a compact source of �-ray radiation that is highly sensitive to spike density, while the binary emits gravitational waves at frequencies detectable by LISA. As the inspiraling binary interacts with the surrounding dark matter particles, it alters the density of the spike, thereby influencing the �-ray flux from dark matter annihilation. We demonstrate that the spike self-annihilation luminosity decreases by 10% to 90% of its initial value, depending on the initial density profile and binary mass ratio, as the binary sweeps through the LISA band. This presents a new opportunity to indirectly probe dark matter through multimessenger observations of galactic nuclei.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:	American Physical Society
ISSN:	0031-9007
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 August 2025
Date of Acceptance:	29 July 2025
Last Modified:	27 Aug 2025 13:22
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180690

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