Illuminating the dark sector: understanding modified gravity signatures with cross-correlations of Gravitational Waves and Large-Scale Structure

Abstract We investigate the synergy between large-scale structure (LSS) observations and gravitational wave (GW) events for testing modified gravity. In particular, we forecast the LSS × GW cross-correlation signal using Stage-IV LSS surveys, such as Euclid, in combination with future detections from the Einstein Telescope. This cross-correlation provides a novel probe of fundamental physics, potentially revealing deviations from the ΛCDM paradigm that may not be accessible through electromagnetic observations alone. We describe the considered modified gravity scenarios, the relevant LSS and GW observables, and the synthetic forecast methodology. Our results demonstrate that combining LSS and GWs can significantly enhance constraints on departures from General Relativity, opening a new window for multi-messenger cosmology. We further assess the observational requirements GW experiments must meet to improve upon constraints obtainable from LSS alone.