Measuring a cosmological distance-redshift relationship using only gravitational wave observations of binary neutron star coalescences

Detection of gravitational waves from the inspiral phase of binary neutron star coalescence will allow us to measure the effects of the tidal coupling in such systems. Tidal effects provide additional contributions to the phase evolution of the gravitational wave signal that break a degeneracy between the system's mass parameters and redshift and thereby allow the simultaneous measurement of both the effective distance and the redshift for individual sources. Using the population of O(10(3)-10(7)) detectable binary neutron star systems predicted for 3rd generation gravitational wave detectors, the luminosity distance-redshift relation can be probed independently of the cosmological distance ladder and independently of electromagnetic observations. We conclude that for a range of representative neutron star equations of state the redshift of such systems can be determined to an accuracy of 8%-40% for z<1 and 9%-65% for 1相似文献   

Listening to the universe with gravitational-wave astronomy

The LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) detectors have just completed their first science run, following many years of planning, research, and development. LIGO is a member of what will be a worldwide network of gravitational-wave observatories, with other members in Europe, Japan, and—hopefully—Australia. Plans are rapidly maturing for a low frequency, space-based gravitational-wave observatory: LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, to be launched around 2011. The goal of these instruments is to inaugurate the field of gravitational-wave astronomy: using gravitational waves as a means of listening to highly relativistic dynamical processes in astrophysics. This review discusses the promise of this field, outlining why gravitational waves are worth pursuing, and what they are uniquely suited to teach us about astrophysical phenomena. We review the current state of the field, both theoretical and experimental, and then highlight some aspects of gravitational-wave science that are particularly exciting (at least to this author).     

The prospects of using gravitational waves for constraining the anisotropy of the Universe

The observation of GW150914 gave a new independent measurement of the luminosity distance of a gravitational wave event. In this paper, we constrain the anisotropy of the Universe by using gravitational wave events.We simulate hundreds of events of binary neutron star merger that may be observed by the Einstein Telescope. Full simulation of the production process of gravitational wave data is employed. We find that 200 binary neutron star merging events with the redshift in (0,1) observed by the Einstein Telescope may constrain the anisotropy with an accuracy comparable to that from the Union2.1 supernovae. This result shows that gravitational waves can be a powerful tool for investigating cosmological anisotropy.     

Gravitational waves from the axial perturbations of hyperon stars

The eigen-frequencies of the axial w-mode oscillations of hyperon stars are examined.It is shown that as the appearance of hyperons softens the equation of state of the super-density matter,the frequency of gravitational waves from the axial w-mode of hyperon star becomes smaller than that of a traditional neutron star at the same stellar mass.Moreover,the eigenfrequencies of hyperon stars also have scaling universality.It is shown that the EURO thirdgeneration gravitational-wave detector has the potential to detect the gravitational-wave signal emitted from the axial w-mode oscillations of a hyperon star.     

Stable operation of a 300-m laser interferometer with sufficient sensitivity to detect gravitational-wave events within our galaxy

TAMA300, an interferometric gravitational-wave detector with 300-m baseline length, has been developed and operated with sufficient sensitivity to detect gravitational-wave events within our galaxy and sufficient stability for observations; the interferometer was operated for over 10 hours stably and continuously. With a strain-equivalent noise level of h approximately 5x10(-21)/sqrt[Hz], a signal-to-noise ratio of 30 is expected for gravitational waves generated by a coalescence of 1.4M-1.4M binary neutron stars at 10 kpc distance. We evaluated the stability of the detector sensitivity with a 2-week data-taking run, collecting 160 hours of data to be analyzed in the search for gravitational waves.     

Gravitational wave astronomy

We are entering a new era of gravitational-wave astronomy. The ground-based interferometers have reached their initial design sensitivity in the audio band. Several upper limits have been set for anticipated astrophysical sources from the science data. The advanced detectors in the US and in Europe are expected to be operational around 2015. New advanced detectors are also planned in Japan and in India. The first direct detections of gravitational waves are expected within this decade. In the meanwhile, three pulsar timing array projects are forming an international collaboration to detect gravitational waves directly in the nanoHertz range using timing data from millisecond pulsars. The first direct detection of nanoHertz gravitational waves are also expected within this decade. In this paper, we review the status of current gravitational-wave detectors, possible types of sources, observational upper limits achieved, and future prospects for direct detection of gravitational waves     

Two simple models for gravitational-wave modes of compact stars

Two simple model problems relevant for the gravitational-wave modes of relativistic stars are discussed. It is shown that the entire mode-spectrum can be obtained if one considers the modes as arising because of the trapping of gravitational waves by the spacetime curvature. The stellar fluid need play no dynamic role. Furthermore, it is shown that two distinct families of gravitational-wave modes exist. The first corresponds to waves trapped inside the star, while the second is similar to acoustic waves scattered off a hard sphere. An infinite number of the first kind of modes exist, but the latter family will only have a few members.     

Gravitational waves from neutron stars: promises and challenges

We discuss different ways that neutron stars can generate gravitational waves, describe recent improvements in modelling the relevant scenarios in the context of improving detector sensitivity, and show how observations are beginning to test our understanding of fundamental physics. The main purpose of the discussion is to establish promising science goals for third-generation ground-based detectors, like the Einstein Telescope, and identify the various challenges that need to be met if we want to use gravitational-wave data to probe neutron star physics.     

Cosmic microwave background fluctuations from gravitational waves: An analytic approach

We develop an analytic approach to calculation of the temperature and polarisation power spectra of the cosmic microwave background due to inflationary gravitational waves. This approach complements the more precise numerical results by providing insight into the physical origins of the features in the power spectra. We explore the use of analytic approximations for the gravitational-wave evolution, making use of the WKB approach to handle the radiation-matter transition. In the process, we describe scaling relations for the temperature and polarisation power spectra. We illustrate the dependence of the amplitude, shape, and peak locations on the details of recombination, the gravitational-wave power spectrum, and the cosmological parameters, and explain the origin of the peak locations in the temperature and polarisation power spectra. The decline in power on small scales in the polarisation power spectra is discussed in terms of phase-damping. In an appendix we detail numerical techniques for integrating the gravitational-wave evolution in the presence of anisotropic stress from free-streaming neutrinos.     

Gravitational Waves and the Conformal Transformation

We study the problem of the behaviour of cosmological gravitational waves under conformal transformations. In spite of the apparent triviality of this question, the informations we can obtain from gravitational waves in the so-called Einstein's and Jordan's frame are not the same, mainly with respect to the choice of the initial conditions and of graviton production. The only exception seems to occur in string cosmology due to the duality properties.     

Cosmological applications in Kaluzaben Klein theory

The field equations of Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory have been applied in the domain of cosmology. These equations are solved for a flat universe by taking the gravitational and the cosmological constants as a function of time t. We use Taylor's expansion of cosmological function, Λ(t), up to the first order of the time t. The cosmological parameters are calculated and some cosmological problems are discussed.     

Cosmological applications in Kaluza-Klein theory

The field equations of Kaluza–Klein (KK) theory have been applied in the domain of cosmology. These equations are solved for a flat universe by taking the gravitational and the cosmological constants as a function of time t. We use Taylor’s expansion of cosmological function, Λ(t), up to the first order of the time t. The cosmological parameters are calculated and some cosmological problems are discussed.     

A new mechanism for gravitational-wave emission in core-collapse supernovae

We present a new theory for the gravitational-wave signatures of core-collapse supernovae. Previous studies identified axisymmetric rotating core collapse, core bounce, postbounce convection, and anisotropic neutrino emission as the primary processes and phases for the radiation of gravitational waves. Our results, which are based on axisymmetric Newtonian supernova simulations, indicate that the dominant emission process of gravitational waves in core-collapse supernovae may be the oscillations of the protoneutron star core. The oscillations are predominantly of mode character, are excited hundreds of milliseconds after bounce, and typically last for several hundred milliseconds. Our results suggest that even nonrotating core-collapse supernovae should be visible to current LIGO-class detectors throughout the Galaxy, and depending on progenitor structure, possibly out to megaparsec distances.     

The Doppler response to gravitational waves from a binary star source

The equations are developed for spacecraft Doppler detection of periodic gravitational waves from a single binary star source. Graphical examples are included to indicate the great variety of Doppler signals which can be generated by these systems.     

The relevance of the cosmological constant for lensing

This review surveys some recent developments concerning the effect of the cosmological constant on the bending of light by a spherical mass in Kottler (Schwarzschild–de Sitter) spacetime. Some proposals of how such an effect may be put into a setting of gravitational lensing in cosmology are also discussed. The picture that emerges from this review is that it seems fair to assert that the contribution of Λ to the bending of light has by now been well established, while putting the Λ light-bending terms into a cosmological context is still subject to some interpretation and requires further work and clarification.     

Radio-quiet neutron star 1E 1207.4-5209: a possible strong gravitational-wave source

There are four puzzles on 1E 1207.4-5209: (1) The characteristic age of the pulsar is much higher than the estimated age of the supernova remnant; (2) the magnetic field inferred from spin down is significantly different from the value obtained from the cyclotron absorption lines; (3) the spinning down of the pulsar is nonmonotonic; (4) the magnitude of the frequency's first derivative varies significantly and its sign is also variable. The third puzzle can be explained by a wide binary system, with orbital period from 0.2 to 6 yr. This Letter proposes that all four puzzles can be explained naturally by an ultracompact binary with an orbital period between 0.5 and 3.3 min. With the shortest orbital period and a close distance of 2 kpc, the characteristic amplitude of gravitational waves is h approximately 3 x 10(-21). It would be an excellent source for gravitational-wave detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.     

High-frequency gravitational waves having large spectral densities and their electromagnetic response

Various cosmology models, brane oscillation scenarios, interaction of interstellar plasma with intense electromagnetic radiation, and even high-energy physics experiments （e.g., Large Hadron Collider （LHC）） all predict high frequency gravitational waves （HFGWs, i.e., high-energy gravitons） in the microwave band and higher frequency region, and some of them have large energy densities. Electromagnetic （EM） detection to such HFGWs would be suitable due to very high frequencies and large energy densities of the HFGWs. We review several typical EM detection schemes, i.e., inverse Gertsenshtein effect （G-effect）, coupling of the inverse G effect with a coherent EM wave, coupling of planar superconducting open cavity with a static magnetic field, cylindrical superconducting closed cavity, and the EM sychro-resonance system, and discuss related minimal detectable amplitudes and sensitivities. Furthermore, we give some new ideas and improvement ways enhancing the possibility of measuring the HFGWs. It is shown that there is still a large room for improvement for those schemes to approach and even reach up the requirement of detection of HFGWs expected by the cosmological models and high-energy astrophysical process.     

The confrontation between general relativity and experiment: An update

The status of experimental tests of general relativity to the end of 1983 is reviewed. The experimental support for the Einstein equivalence principle is summarized. If this principle is valid, gravitation must be described by a curved space-time, “metric” theory of gravity. General properties of metric theories are described and the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism for treating the weak-field, slow-motion limit of such theories is set up. A zoo of selected metric theories of gravity is presented. Experimental tests of metric theories are then described, including the “classical” tests, tests of the strong equivalence principle, and others. The possibility of using gravitational-wave observations to test metric theories is discussed. A review is presented of the binary pulsar, in which the first evidence for gravitational radiation has been found. Finally cosmological tests of alternative theories are briefly described.     

The Electromagnetic Analogue of Some Gravitational Perturbations in Cosmology

Recently attention has been drawn to the fact that perfect fluid tensor perturbations (with perturbed vorticity and acceleration vanishing) of isotropic cosmological models have a perturbed Weyl tensor with electric part satisfying a linear, homogeneous, third-order wave equation while the magnetic part satisfies a linear, homogeneous, second-order wave equation. We construct an analogous class of electromagnetic test fields in the isotropic cosmological models for which the electric vector satisfies a third-order, linear and homogeneous wave equation while the magnetic vector satisfies a second-order, linear and homogeneous wave equation. If the perfect fluid has an equation of state we give a simplified derivation of the authors' previous perturbation analysis describing gravitational waves carrying arbitrary information. We also present the analogous solutions of Maxwell's equations which contain electromagnetic waves conveying arbitrary information.     

Limiting energy density and a regular accelerating universe in Riemann-Cartan spacetime

Isotropic cosmology built in the Riemann-Cartan spacetime by using sufficiently general expression of gravitational Lagrangian is investigated. It is shown that cosmological equations obtained by certain restrictions on indefinite parameters of gravitational Lagrangian lead to limiting energy density at the beginning of cosmological expansion and all cosmological models filled with usual gravitating matter satisfying standard energy conditions are regular with respect to energy density, spacetime metrics with its time derivative and torsion functions. At asymptotics cosmological solutions of spatially flat models coincide with that of standard ΛCDM-model for accelerating Universe.