Slowly Decaying Ringdown of a Rapidly Spinning Black Hole: Probing the No-Hair Theorem by Small Mass-Ratio Mergers with LISA

Abstract

The measurability of multiple quasinormal (QN) modes, including overtones and higher harmonics, with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna is investigated by computing the gravitational wave (GW) signal induced by an intermediate or extreme mass ratio merger involving a supermassive black hole (SMBH). We confirm that the ringdown of rapidly spinning black holes are long-lived, and higher harmonics of the ringdown are significantly excited for mergers of small mass ratios. We investigate the measurability and separability of the QN modes for such mergers and demonstrate that the observation of GWs from rapidly rotating SMBHs has an advantage for detecting superposed QN modes and testing the no-hair theorem of black holes.