Implications of Detecting Subsolar Gravitational Waves

A recent paper titled "Cosmology and nuclear-physics implications of a subsolar gravitational-wave event" by Francesco Crescimbeni, Gabriele Franciolini, Paolo Pani, and Massimo Vaglio discusses the potential implications of detecting a subsolar-mass gravitational wave event. The authors indicate that the nature of such an event could be inferred with high statistical confidence during the ongoing fourth observing run of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration.

The study highlights that if a primordial black hole is detected, it could significantly impact cosmology and dark matter theories. Additionally, measuring the tidal deformability of a subsolar neutron star could either confirm or rule out the existence of strange stars, which are theorized to be composed of quarks.

The authors emphasize that the detection of a compact subsolar object would have profound implications across various fields of physics, depending on the specific characteristics of the object. This research is particularly relevant as it may provide insights into the fundamental nature of matter and the universe's evolution, potentially reshaping our understanding of astrophysical phenomena.

For further details, the paper can be accessed at arXiv:2408.14287.