4,915 research outputs found
Components of the gravitational force in the field of a gravitational wave
Gravitational waves bring about the relative motion of free test masses. The
detailed knowledge of this motion is important conceptually and practically,
because the mirrors of laser interferometric detectors of gravitational waves
are essentially free test masses. There exists an analogy between the motion of
free masses in the field of a gravitational wave and the motion of free charges
in the field of an electromagnetic wave. In particular, a gravitational wave
drives the masses in the plane of the wave-front and also, to a smaller extent,
back and forth in the direction of the wave's propagation. To describe this
motion, we introduce the notion of `electric' and `magnetic' components of the
gravitational force. This analogy is not perfect, but it reflects some
important features of the phenomenon. Using different methods, we demonstrate
the presence and importance of what we call the `magnetic' component of motion
of free masses. It contributes to the variation of distance between a pair of
particles. We explicitely derive the full response function of a 2-arm laser
interferometer to a gravitational wave of arbitrary polarization. We give a
convenient description of the response function in terms of the spin-weighted
spherical harmonics. We show that the previously ignored `magnetic' component
may provide a correction of up to 10 %, or so, to the usual `electric'
component of the response function. The `magnetic' contribution must be taken
into account in the data analysis, if the parameters of the radiating system
are not to be mis-estimated.Comment: prints to 29 pages including 9 figures, new title, additional
explanations and references in response to referee's comments, to be
published in Class. Quant. Gra
Gravitational wave scintillation by a stellar cluster
The diffraction effects on gravitational waves propagating through a stellar
cluster are analyzed in the relevant approximation of Fresnel diffraction
limit. We find that a gravitational wave scintillation effect - similar to the
radio source scintillation effect - comes out naturally, implying that the
gravitational wave intensity changes in a characteristic way as the observer
moves.Comment: 9 pages, in press in IJMP
Geometrical Expression for the Angular Resolution of a Network of Gravitational-Wave Detectors
We report for the first time general geometrical expressions for the angular
resolution of an arbitrary network of interferometric gravitational-wave (GW)
detectors when the arrival-time of a GW is unknown. We show explicitly elements
that decide the angular resolution of a GW detector network. In particular, we
show the dependence of the angular resolution on areas formed by projections of
pairs of detectors and how they are weighted by sensitivities of individual
detectors. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the capabilities of
the current GW detector network. We confirm that the angular resolution is poor
along the plane formed by current LIGO-Virgo detectors. A factor of a few to
more than ten fold improvement of the angular resolution can be achieved if the
proposed new GW detectors LCGT or AIGO are added to the network. We also
discuss the implications of our results for the design of a GW detector
network, optimal localization methods for a given network, and electromagnetic
follow-up observations.Comment: 13 pages, for Phys. Rev.
Quantum variational measurement in the next generation gravitational-wave detectors
A relatively simple method of overcoming the Standard Quantum Limit in the
next-generation Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detector is considered. It is
based on the quantum variational measurement with a single short (a few tens of
meters) filter cavity. Estimates show that this method allows to reduce the
radiation pressure noise at low frequencies () to the level
comparable with or smaller than the low-frequency noises of non-quantum origin
(mirrors suspension noise, mirrors internal thermal noise, and gravity
gradients fluctuations).Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures; NSNS SNR estimates added; misprints correcte
Gravitating Fluxbranes
We consider the effect that gravity has when one tries to set up a constant
background form field. We find that in analogy with the Melvin solution, where
magnetic field lines self-gravitate to form a flux-tube, the self-gravity of
the form field creates fluxbranes. Several exact solutions are found
corresponding to different transverse spaces and world-volumes, a dilaton
coupling is also considered.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Low-frequency gravitational radiation from coalescing massive black hole binaries in hierarchical cosmologies
We compute the expected gravitational wave signal from coalescing massive
black hole (MBH) binaries at the center of galaxies in a hierarchical structure
formation scenario in which seed holes of intermediate mass form far up in the
dark halo merger tree. The merger history of DM halos and MBHs is followed from
z=20 to the present in a LCDM cosmology. MBHs get incorporated through halo
mergers into larger and larger structures, sink to the center owing to
dynamical friction against the DM background, accrete cold material in the
merger remnant, and form MBH binary systems. Stellar dynamical interactions
cause the hardening of the binary at large separations, while gravitational
wave emission takes over at small radii and leads to the final coalescence of
the pair. The integrated emission from inspiraling MBH binaries results in a
gravitational wave background (GWB). The characteristic strain spectrum has the
standard h_c(f)\propto f^{-2/3} behavior only in the range 1E-9<f<1E-6 Hz. At
lower frequencies the orbital decay of MBH binaries is driven by the ejection
of background stars, and h_c(f) \propto f. At higher frequencies, f>1E-6 Hz,
the strain amplitude is shaped by the convolution of last stable circular orbit
emission. We discuss the observability of inspiraling MBH binaries by the
planned LISA. Over a 3-year observing period LISA should resolve this GWB into
discrete sources, detecting ~60 (~250) individual events above a S/N=5 (S/N=1)
confidence level. (Abridged)Comment: 11 pages, 8 figues. Revised version accepted to be published in ApJ
Discussion on number counts corrected and expande
Classical stability and quantum instability of black-hole Cauchy horizons
For a certain region of the parameter space , the Cauchy
horizon of a (charged) black hole residing in de Sitter space is classically
stable to gravitational perturbations. This implies that, when left to its own
devices, classical theory is unable to retain full predictive power: the
evolution of physical fields beyond the Cauchy horizon is not uniquely
determined by the initial conditions. In this paper we argue that the Cauchy
horizon of a Reissner-Nordstr\"om-de Sitter black hole must always be unstable
quantum mechanically.Comment: 4 pages; uses ReVTeX; figure available upon request to
[email protected]
An approximate binary-black-hole metric
An approximate solution to Einstein's equations representing two
widely-separated non-rotating black holes in a circular orbit is constructed by
matching a post-Newtonian metric to two perturbed Schwarzschild metrics. The
spacetime metric is presented in a single coordinate system valid up to the
apparent horizons of the black holes. This metric could be useful in numerical
simulations of binary black holes. Initial data extracted from this metric have
the advantages of being linked to the early inspiral phase of the binary
system, and of not containing spurious gravitational waves.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure; some changes in Sec. IV B,C and Sec.
On isotropic cylindrically symmetric stellar models
We attempt to match the most general cylindrically symmetric vacuum
space-time with a Robertson-Walker interior. The matching conditions show that
the interior must be dust filled and that the boundary must be comoving.
Further, we show that the vacuum region must be polarized. Imposing the
condition that there are no trapped cylinders on an initial time slice, we can
apply a result of Thorne's and show that trapped cylinders never evolve. This
results in a simplified line element which we prove to be incompatible with the
dust interior. This result demonstrates the impossibility of the existence of
an isotropic cylindrically symmetric star (or even a star which has a
cylindrically symmetric portion). We investigate the problem from a different
perspective by looking at the expansion scalars of invariant null geodesic
congruences and, applying to the cylindrical case, the result that the product
of the signs of the expansion scalars must be continuous across the boundary.
The result may also be understood in relation to recent results about the
impossibility of the static axially symmetric analogue of the Einstein-Straus
model.Comment: 13 pages. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
- …