Dark Matter Undetectable in Gravitational Waves

Astrophysicists propose that gravitational waves could be used to reveal properties of dark matter in much the same way that seismic waves are used to probe the structure of Earth’s interior. However, new calculations by Raphael Flauger of the University of California, San Diego, and Steven Weinberg of the University of Texas at Austin suggest that researchers are still some way from studying dark matter this way. They predict that, while dark matter could influence gravitational waves, the effects would be too small for near-future detectors to measure.