There and back again: Outspiraling motion in non-Kerr compact objects
Phys. Rev. D 112, 124067 – Published 22 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/9713-l7bx
Abstract
In Keplerian dynamics, a test body orbiting a point particle in circular motion has a monotonically increasing frequency, with decreasing radius. If a dissipative channel is introduced, such as gravitational wave (GW) emission, under the quadrupole approximation, the corresponding GW strain has an ever-increasing frequency with time. A similar statement holds for equatorial motion of a test particle on the Kerr manifold, except such inspiral is cut off at the ISCO, wherein stable circular orbits cease to exist and a plunge is expected. We analyze circular timelike orbits in generic spinning spacetimes and study the conditions in which exotic motion can occur, arising from non-Kerr features. In particular, we derive conditions under which an inspiral towards a compact object is naturally followed by an outspiral motion, and give concrete examples as well as the corresponding GW phenomenology. This analysis serves both as a theoretical exploration of non-Kerrness and as an example of a concrete smoking gun of exotic spacetimes.
