Probing new fundamental fields with Extreme Mass Ratio Inspirals (2407.07449v2)

Abstract: We examine extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs), where a charged compact object spirals into a supermassive black hole, in modified gravity theories with additional scalar or vector fields. Using the Teukolsky and generalized Sasaki-Nakamura formalisms, we provide the post-Newtonian expansion of the energy flux of the vector waves up to $O(v^5)$ beyond the quadrupole formula in the weak field and numerically calculate the energy flux in the strong field for a charged particle moving in circular orbits. Our findings reveal a degeneracy in the scalar and vector charge parameters for weak-field, slow-motion orbits. However, for strong-field, fast-motion orbits close to the innermost stable circular orbit, we observe distinct behaviors between scalar and vector fields. We investigate the potential of using EMRIs detected by space-based gravitational-wave detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna to identify whether a black hole carries a scalar or vector charge. The influence of scalar and vector flux on the orbital evolution and tensor GW phase can not help us distinguish scalar and vector fields. However, extra polarizations emitted by the scalar or vector field can break the correlations between the scalar field and vector field and then help us distinguish the scalar and vector field.