Narrow Results

The emission of gravitational waves from a system of massive objects interacting on hyperbolic orbits is studied in the quadrupole approximation. Analytic expressions are derived for the gravitational radiation luminosity, the total energy output and the gravitational radiation amplitude. An estimation of the expected number of events towards different targets (i.e. globular clusters and the center of the Galaxy) is also given. In particular, for a dense stellar cluster at the galactic center, a rate up to one event per year is obtained.

We linearize the field equations for higher order theories of gravity that contain scalar invariants other than the Ricci scalar. We find that besides a massless spin-2 field (the standard graviton), the theory contains also spin-0 and spin-2 massive modes with the latter being, in general, ghost modes. The rate at which such particles would emit gravitational Cherenkov radiation is calculated for some interesting physical cases.

Arguments are given for the conclusion that the energy of collision of two ultrarelativistic elementary particles due to gravitational radiation cannot exceed the Planck value. Comparison of the gravitational and electromagnetic radiation for charged particles close to the horizon of Kerr black hole is made. If for trans-Planckian energy the black hole can arise it is shown that the energy growth used in scattering for interaction of particles is still limited.

The Higgs boson is the missing link of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. We review its decay properties and production mechanisms at a future e⁺e^- linear collider and its e^-e^-, e^±γ, and γγ modes, with special emphasis on the influence of quantum corrections. We also discuss how its quantum numbers and couplings can be extracted from the study of appropriate final states.

From a forward–backward path integral, we derive a master equation for the emission and absorption of gravitons by a massive quantum object in a heat bath of gravitons. Such an equation could describe the collapse phenomena of dense stars. We also present a useful approximate Langevin equation for such a system.

Binary black hole systems in the pre-coalescence stage are numerically constructed by demanding that the associated spacetime admits a helical Killing vector. Comparison with third order post-Newtonian calculations indicates a rather good agreement until the innermost stable circular orbit.

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most relativistic objects discovered so far. I describe here two aspects of the relativistic nature of GRBs. Their likely association with the formation of black holes and their possible role as sources of gravitational radiation.

We present a pedagogical introduction to the problem of evolving a head on collision of two Aichelburg–Sexl gravitational shock waves in D-dimensions, using perturbative techniques. We follow a constructive approach with examples, going in some detail through: the set up of the exact initial conditions and their properties; perturbative methods in flat space–time with Green function solutions; and numerical strategies to evaluate the integral solutions. We also discuss, briefly, radiation extraction methods adapted to this problem, together with some of the results for this system.

At the present moment, there is an unresolved problem in the physics of cosmic rays. The problem concerns the origin of the ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. One of the possible mechanisms of the particle’s birth with such energy is bound to the processes occurring in the active nuclei of the galaxies. In this paper, we have examined a collision of superheavy particles. Using the Weinberg formalism, we have estimated gravitational radiation emitted during the collision in the first approximation. It was shown that, for a certain collision time, the energy lost by the ultrarelativistic particle is less than the value of the energy of the mass center of the collision and the mass of the colliding particles.

Intensities of the gravitational radiation from a coalescence of miniholes and quadrupole transitions of hydrogen-like atoms are calculated. The total energies of the background gravitational radiation from the coalescence of miniholes and the graviatom quadrupole transitions prove to be comparable with that from the coalescence of two stellar mass black holes.

We derive source-free Maxwell-like equations in flat space–time for any helicity j by comparing the transformation properties of the 2(2j+1) states that carry the manifestly covariant representations of the inhomogeneous Lorentz group with the transformation properties of the two helicity j states that carry the irreducible representations of this group. The set of constraints so derived involves a pair of curl equations and a pair of divergence equations. These reduce to the free-field Maxwell equations for j = 1 and the analogous equations coupling the gravito-electric and the gravito-magnetic fields for j = 2.

We investigate the gravitational radiation produced by a linearly accelerated source in general relativity. The investigation is performed by studying the vacuum C metric, which is interpreted as representing the exterior space–time of an uniformly accelerating spherically symmetric gravitational source, and is carried out in the context of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity. For an observer sufficiently far from both the (modified) Schwarzschild and Rindler horizons, which is a realistic situation, we obtain a simple expression for the total emitted gravitational radiation. We also briefly discuss on the absolute or relative character of the accelerated motion.

Pairs of Planck-mass drops of superfluid helium coated by electrons (i.e. "Millikan oil drops"), when levitated in a superconducting magnetic trap, can be efficient quantum transducers between electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational (GR) radiation. This leads to the possibility of a Hertz-like experiment, in which EM waves are converted at the source into GR waves, and then back-converted at the receiver from GR waves into EM waves. Detection of the gravitational-wave analog of the cosmic microwave background using these drops can discriminate between various theories of the early Universe.

The analysis of a general multibody physical system governed by Einstein's equations is quite difficult, even if numerical methods (on a computer) are used. Some of the difficulties — many coupled degrees of freedom, dynamic instability — are associated with the presence of gravitational waves. We have developed a number of "waveless approximation theories" (WAT's) which repress the gravitational radiation and thereby simplify the analysis. The matter, according to these theories, evolves dynamically. The gravitational field, however, is determined at each time step by a set of elliptic equations with matter sources. There is reason to believe that for many physical systems, the WAT-generated system evolution is a very accurate approximation to that generated by the full Einstein theory.

We give equations of motion for the center of mass and intrinsic angular momentum of axially symmetric sources that emit gravitational radiation. This symmetry is used to uniquely define the notion of total angular momentum. The center of mass then singles out the intrinsic angular momentum of the system.

The motion of binary star systems is re-examined in the presence of perturbations from the theory of general relativity. To handle the singularity of the Kepler problem, the equation of motion is regularized and linearized with quaternions. In this way first-order perturbation results are derived using the quaternion-based approach.

100 years after the invention of General Relativity (GR) and 110 years after the development of Special Relativity (SR) we have to state that until now no single experiment or observation allows any doubt about the validity of these theories within the accuracy of the available data. Tests of GR can be divided into three categories: (i) test of the foundations of GR, (ii) tests of the consequences of GR, and (iii) test of the interplay between GR and quantum mechanics. In the first category, we have tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle and the structure of the Newton axioms, in the second category we have effects like the gravitational redshift, light defection, gravitational time delay, the perihelion shift, the gravitomagnetic effects as the Lense–Thirring and Schiff effect, and gravitational waves. Tests of the effects of gravity on quantum systems are a first step towards experiments searching for a quantum gravity theory. In this paper, we also highlight practical applications in positioning, geodesy, and the International Atomic Time. After 100 years, GR can now definitely be regarded also as practical and applied science.

We analyze the causal structure of the two-dimensional (2D) reduced background used in the perturbative treatment of a head-on collision of two $D$-dimensional Aichelburg–Sexl gravitational shock waves. After defining all causal boundaries, namely the future light-cone of the collision and the past light-cone of a future observer, we obtain characteristic coordinates using two independent methods. The first is a geometrical construction of the null rays which define the various light cones, using a parametric representation. The second is a transformation of the 2D reduced wave operator for the problem into a hyperbolic form. The characteristic coordinates are then compactified allowing us to represent all causal light rays in a conformal Carter–Penrose diagram. Our construction holds to all orders in perturbation theory. In particular, we can easily identify the singularities of the source functions and of the Green’s functions appearing in the perturbative expansion, at each order, which is crucial for a successful numerical evaluation of any higher order corrections using this method.

The gravitational-wave event GW170817 and the near-simultaneous corresponding gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817 A) falsify modified gravity theories in which the gravitational geometry differs non-conformally from physical geometry. Thus, the observations of this event definitively rule out theories, such as TeVeS, a suggested relativistic extension of Milgrom’s modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND), that predict a significantly different Shapiro delay for electromagnetic and gravitational radiation. While not falsifying MOND per se, GW170817 severely constrains relativistic extensions of MOND to theories that do not rely on additional matter-coupling fields but rather upon modified field equations for one universal gravitational and physical metric. Here, I mention a simple preferred-frame theory as an example.

In this review paper, we investigate the connection between gravity and electromagnetism from Faraday to the present day. The particular focus is on the connection between gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. We discuss electromagnetic radiation produced when a gravitational wave passes through a magnetic field. We then discuss the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with gravitational waves via Feynman diagrams of the process $graviton+graviton\to photon+photon$. Finally, we review recent work on the vacuum production of counterpart electromagnetic radiation by gravitational waves.