Gravitational waves and geometrical optics in scalar-tensor theories

DOI10.1088/1475-7516/2020/11/040zbMATH Open1486.83021arXiv1912.08093OpenAlexW3108265319MaRDI QIDQ5035296FDOQ5035296

Alice Garoffolo, Carmelita Carbone, Daniele Bertacca, Gianmassimo Tasinato, Sabino Matarrese

Publication date: 21 February 2022

Published in: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) propagating through cosmic structures can provide invaluable information on the geometry and content of our Universe, as well as on the fundamental theory of gravity. In order to test possible departures from General Relativity, it is essential to analyse, in a modified gravity setting, how GWs propagate through a perturbed cosmological space-time. Working within the framework of geometrical optics, we develop tools to address this topic for a broad class of scalar-tensor theories, including scenarios with non-minimal, derivative couplings between scalar and tensor modes. We determine the corresponding evolution equations for the GW amplitude and polarization tensor. The former satisfies a generalised evolution equation that includes possible effects due to a variation of the effective Planck scale; the latter can fail to be parallely transported along GW geodesics unless certain conditions are satisfied. We apply our general formulas to specific scalar-tensor theories with unit tensor speed, and then focus on GW propagation on a perturbed space-time. We determine corrections to standard formulas for the GW luminosity distance and for the evolution of the polarization tensor, which depend both on modified gravity and on the effects of cosmological perturbations. Our results can constitute a starting point to disentangle among degeneracies from different sectors that can influence GW propagation through cosmological space-times.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.08093

zbMATH Keywords

modified gravitygravitational waves/theory

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Traveling wave solutions (35C07) Geodesics in global differential geometry (53C22) Approximation procedures, weak fields in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C25) Electromagnetic fields in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C50) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05) Relativistic cosmology (83F05) Geometric optics (78A05) Gravitational waves (83C35) Matrix models and tensor models for quantum field theory (81T32)

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Cited In (11)

• Scalar gravitational waves can be generated even without direct coupling between dark energy and ordinary matter
• CLASS_GWB: robust modeling of the astrophysical gravitational wave background anisotropies
• Refraction index analysis of light propagation in a colliding gravitational wave spacetime
• Gravitational waves in scalar-tensor theory to one-and-a-half post-Newtonian order
• Gravitational wave propagation beyond general relativity: waveform distortions and echoes
• Test of the statistical isotropy of the universe using gravitational waves
• Gravitational-wave cosmological distances in scalar-tensor theories of gravity
• Probing massive gravitons in \(f(R)\) with lensed gravitational waves
• Gauge and optical aspects of gravitation
• Gravitational couplings in Chameleon models
• Number count of gravitational waves and supernovae in luminosity distance space for \(\Lambda\)CDM and scalar-tensor theories

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