Interactions of cosmological gravitational waves and magnetic fields

Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.79.024021· OSTI ID:21259816

Fenu, Elisa; Durrer, Ruth ^[1]

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1. Departement de Physique Theorique, Universite de Geneve, 24 quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneve 4, Switzerland. (Switzerland)

The energy momentum tensor of a magnetic field always contains a spin-2 component in its anisotropic stress and therefore generates gravitational waves. It has been argued in the literature (Caprini and Durrer [C. Caprini and R. Durrer, Phys. Rev. D 65, 023517 (2001)]) that this gravitational wave production can be very strong and that backreaction cannot be neglected. On the other hand, a gravitational wave background does affect the evolution of magnetic fields. It has also been argued (Tsagas et al.[C. G. Tsagas, P. K. S. Dunsby, and M. Marklund, Phys. Lett. B 561, 17 (2003)][C. Tsagas, Phys. Rev. D 72, 123509 (2005)]) that this can lead to a very strong amplification of a primordial magnetic field. In this paper we revisit these claims and study backreaction to second order.

• OSTI ID: 21259816
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 79; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AMPLIFICATION
ANISOTROPY
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
ENERGY-MOMENTUM TENSOR
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
INTERACTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SPIN
STRESSES