Chengjiang Yin

Abstract Dark energy, a mysterious form of energy that pervades the entire Universe, is believed to be responsible for the Universe’s accelerated expansion. Various theoretical attempts have been made to explain the elusive nature of dark energy. One of the compelling theories is the so-called symmetron dark energy, which predicts a fifth force that interacts with matter. However, the screening of the fifth force in high-density environments poses a challenge for laboratory experiments.

We investigate the detectability of gravitational waves that have been lensed by a spinless stellar-mass black hole, with respect to the advanced LIGO. By solving the full relativistic linear wave equations in the spacetime of a Schwarzschild black hole, we find that the strong gravity can create unique signals in the lensed waveform, particularly during the merger and ring-down stages.

Abstract Various theories have been proposed for the nature of dark energy. It is therefore essential to directly verify or rule out these theories by experiment. Despite substantial efforts in astrophysical observations and laboratory experiments, previous tests are not sufficiently accurate to provide decisive conclusions as to the validity of these theories.