Direct multi-model dark-matter search with gravitational-wave interferometers using data from the first part of the fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run
Abstract
Gravitational-wave detectors can probe the existence of dark matter with exquisite sensitivity. Here, we perform a search for three kinds of dark matter -- dilatons (spin-0), dark photons (spin-1) and tensor bosons (spin-2) -- using three independent methods on the first part of the most recent data from the fourth observing run of LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA. Each form of dark matter could have interacted with different standard-model particles in the instruments, causing unique differential strains on the interferometers. While we do not find any evidence for a signal, we place the most stringent upper limits to-date on each of these models. For scalars with masses between [4× 10−14,1.5× 10−13] eV that couple to photons or electrons, our constraints improve upon those from the third observing run by one order of magnitude, with the tightest limit of ∼ 10−20 GeV−1 at a mass of ∼2× 10−13 eV. For vectors with masses between [7× 10−13,8.47× 10−12] eV that couple to baryons, our constraints supersede those from MICROSCOPE and Eöt-Wash by one to two orders of magnitude, reaching a minimum of ∼ 5× 10−24 at a mass of ∼ 10−12 eV. For tensors with masses of [4× 10−14,8.47× 10−12] eV (the full mass range analyzed) that couple via a Yukawa interaction, our constraints surpass those from fifth-force experiments by four to five orders of magnitude, achieving a limit as low as ∼ 8× 10−9 at ∼2× 10−13 eV. Our results show that gravitational-wave interferometers have become frontiers for new physics and laboratories for direct multi-model dark-matter detection.
Related
- In Search of the Gravitational Wave of Fast X-Ray Transient in the Second Part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Fourth Observing Run
- Search for Sub-Solar Mass Binaries in the First and Second Part of LIGO's Fourth Observing Run O4a-O4b
- Normalizing Flow Emulator for Gravitational Wave Detection Probability in the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA O4 Observing Run
- Search for Eccentric Neutron Star-Black Hole Binaries in Advanced LIGO's Fourth Observing Run using Effective-One-Body Waveforms
- GWTC-4.0: Updating the Gravitational-wave Transient Catalog with Observations from the First Part of the Fourth LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA Observing Run
BibTeX
@article{abac2026direct,
title = {{Direct multi-model dark-matter search with gravitational-wave interferometers using data from the first part of the fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run}},
author = {A.G Abac and I Abouelfettouh and F Acernese and K Ackley and C Adamcewicz and S Adhicary and D Adhikari and N Adhikari and R.X Adhikari and V.K Adkins and S Afroz and A Agapito and D Agarwal and M Agathos and N Aggarwal and S Aggarwal and O.D Aguiar and I.-L Ahrend and L Aiello and A Ain and P Ajith and T Akutsu and S Albanesi and W Ali and S Al-Kershi and C Alléné and A Allocca and S Al-Shammari and P.A Altin and S Alvarez-Lopez and W Amar and O Amarasinghe and A Amato and F Amicucci and C Amra and A Ananyeva and S.B Anderson and W.G Anderson and M Andia and M Ando and M Andrés-Carcasona and T Andríc and J Anglin and S Ansoldi and J.M Antelis and S Antier and M Aoumi and E.Z Appavuravther and S Appert and S.K Apple and K Arai and A Araya and M.C Araya and M. Arca Sedda and J.S Areeda and N Aritomi and F Armato and S Armstrong and N Arnaud and M Arogeti},
journal = {Phys.Rev.Lett.},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1103/qdnd-rsnh},
eprint = {2510.27022},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05491565v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Direct multi-model dark-matter search with gravitational-wave interferometers using data from the first part of the fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing run
AU - A.G Abac
AU - I Abouelfettouh
AU - F Acernese
AU - K Ackley
AU - C Adamcewicz
AU - S Adhicary
AU - D Adhikari
AU - N Adhikari
AU - R.X Adhikari
AU - V.K Adkins
AU - S Afroz
AU - A Agapito
AU - D Agarwal
AU - M Agathos
AU - N Aggarwal
AU - S Aggarwal
AU - O.D Aguiar
AU - I.-L Ahrend
AU - L Aiello
AU - A Ain
AU - P Ajith
AU - T Akutsu
AU - S Albanesi
AU - W Ali
AU - S Al-Kershi
AU - C Alléné
AU - A Allocca
AU - S Al-Shammari
AU - P.A Altin
AU - S Alvarez-Lopez
AU - W Amar
AU - O Amarasinghe
AU - A Amato
AU - F Amicucci
AU - C Amra
AU - A Ananyeva
AU - S.B Anderson
AU - W.G Anderson
AU - M Andia
AU - M Ando
AU - M Andrés-Carcasona
AU - T Andríc
AU - J Anglin
AU - S Ansoldi
AU - J.M Antelis
AU - S Antier
AU - M Aoumi
AU - E.Z Appavuravther
AU - S Appert
AU - S.K Apple
AU - K Arai
AU - A Araya
AU - M.C Araya
AU - M. Arca Sedda
AU - J.S Areeda
AU - N Aritomi
AU - F Armato
AU - S Armstrong
AU - N Arnaud
AU - M Arogeti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - Phys.Rev.Lett.
DO - 10.1103/qdnd-rsnh
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05491565v1
AB - Gravitational-wave detectors can probe the existence of dark matter with exquisite sensitivity. Here, we perform a search for three kinds of dark matter -- dilatons (spin-0), dark photons (spin-1) and tensor bosons (spin-2) -- using three independent methods on the first part of the most recent data from the fourth observing run of LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA. Each form of dark matter could have interacted with different standard-model particles in the instruments, causing unique differential strains on the interferometers. While we do not find any evidence for a signal, we place the most stringent upper limits to-date on each of these models. For scalars with masses between [4× 10^−14,1.5× 10^−13] eV that couple to photons or electrons, our constraints improve upon those from the third observing run by one order of magnitude, with the tightest limit of ∼ 10^−20 GeV^−1 at a mass of ∼2× 10^−13 eV. For vectors with masses between [7× 10^−13,8.47× 10^−12] eV that couple to baryons, our constraints supersede those from MICROSCOPE and Eöt-Wash by one to two orders of magnitude, reaching a minimum of ∼ 5× 10^−24 at a mass of ∼ 10^−12 eV. For tensors with masses of [4× 10^−14,8.47× 10^−12] eV (the full mass range analyzed) that couple via a Yukawa interaction, our constraints surpass those from fifth-force experiments by four to five orders of magnitude, achieving a limit as low as ∼ 8× 10^−9 at ∼2× 10^−13 eV. Our results show that gravitational-wave interferometers have become frontiers for new physics and laboratories for direct multi-model dark-matter detection.
ER -