Can a pure vector gravitational wave mimic a pure tensor one?

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Authors

  • Bruce Allen

External Research Organisations

  • Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number124020
JournalPhysical Review D
Volume97
Issue number12
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2018
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

In the general theory of relativity, gravitational waves have two possible polarizations, which are transverse and traceless with helicity ±2. Some alternative theories contain additional helicity 0 and helicity ±1 polarization modes. Here, we consider a hypothetical "pure vector" theory in which gravitational waves have only two possible polarizations, with helicity ±1. We show that if these polarizations are allowed to rotate as the wave propagates, then for certain source locations on the sky, the strain outputs of three ideal interferometric gravitational wave detectors can exactly reproduce the strain outputs predicted by general relativity.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Can a pure vector gravitational wave mimic a pure tensor one? / Allen, Bruce.
In: Physical Review D, Vol. 97, No. 12, 124020, 15.06.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Allen B. Can a pure vector gravitational wave mimic a pure tensor one? Physical Review D. 2018 Jun 15;97(12):124020. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevD.97.124020
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