Primordial gravitational waves and the blackbody radiation anisotropy

Journal Article · Tue May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184265· OSTI ID:6623800

Adams, P J; Hellings, R W; Zimmerman, R L

If relict gravitational waves deriving from a chaotic initial singularity contain a nonisotropic component, then this radiation can produce a ''frame dragging'' effect which will induce a dipole anisotropy in the observed temperature distribution of the 3 K electromagnetic radiation background. The measured dipole and quadrupole distributions of the electromagnetic background can thus be used to bound the effective wave parameters of the nonisotropic part of the gravitational background. Using available data, we find the dimensionless amplitude of this nonisotropic part to be less than 5 x 10/sup -4/ for wavelengths less than the Hubble radius. The effective energy density of this nonisotropic component of the gravitational radiation backgroundd is less than 2 x 10/sup -8/ times the critical density.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
• OSTI ID: 6623800
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States) Vol. 280:2; ISSN AJLEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANISOTROPY
BACKGROUND RADIATION
BLACKBODY RADIATION
COORDINATES
COSMIC RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY DENSITY
GRAVITATION
GRAVITATIONAL WAVES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
RADIATIONS
SINGULARITY
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
WAVELENGTHS