Classification of gravitational waves in a nonsymmetric gravitational theory

Journal Article · Wed May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.31.2480· OSTI ID:5690466

Krisher, T P; Will, C M

We analyze the polarization properties of weak, plane gravitational waves in theories of gravity containing a nonsymmetric metric. The calculation focuses on the physically observable geodesic-deviation forces that affect gravitational-wave detectors. Considering three different definitions of measurable geodesic deviation, we find that the most general wave may contain up to 12 modes of polarization. For the particular case of the nonsymmetric theory of Moffat, we find that, under two of the three possible definitions of geodesic deviation, the theory admits waves of up to five modes: three transverse, of helicity +- 2 and 0, and two longitudinal, of helicity +- 1. The presence or absence of the latter modes is found to be Lorentz-frame dependent, meaning that it is impossible to characterize such waves in terms of zero-mass particles of definite helicity. We find that this problem may be overcome, leaving Lorentz-invariant modes of helicity +- 2, if the third, ''transposition-invariant,'' definition of measurable geodesic deviation is adopted for this theory. The general formalism developed here may be useful for analyzing other nonsymmetric theories of gravitation.

• Research Organization: McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130
• OSTI ID: 5690466
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 31:10; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

657003* -- Theoretical & Mathematical Physics-- Relativity & Gravitation
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
CLASSIFICATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FIELD EQUATIONS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
HELICITY
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LORENTZ INVARIANCE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METRICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
POLARIZATION
RADIATION DETECTORS
SPACE-TIME