A recent study in Physical Review Letters explores the effects of ultralight dark matter in extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs), which could be detected by future space-based gravitational wave detectors like LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna).

Given the numerous proposed forms of dark matter, scientists are investigating multiple approaches for their detection.

This study centers on understanding how ultralight dark matter behaves in relation to extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs). These systems consist of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in conjunction with a smaller astronomical body, which may be a star or another black hole.

The gravitational waves emitted by these systems as the smaller stellar object spirals into the SMBH could point to the behavior of ultralight dark matter in and around these systems.