Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

2018

General Relativity

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Gravitational Effects In G -Factor Measurements And High-Precision Spectroscopy: Limits Of Einstein's Equivalence Principle, Ulrich D. Jentschura Sep 2018

Gravitational Effects In G -Factor Measurements And High-Precision Spectroscopy: Limits Of Einstein's Equivalence Principle, Ulrich D. Jentschura

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We study the interplay of general relativity, the equivalence principle, and high-precision experiments involving atomic transitions and g-factor measurements. In particular, we derive a generalized Dirac Hamiltonian, which describes both the gravitational coupling for weak fields and the electromagnetic coupling, e.g., to a central Coulomb field. An approximate form of this Hamiltonian is used to derive the leading gravitational corrections to transition frequencies and g factors. The position dependence of atomic transitions is shown to be compatible with the equivalence principle, up to a very good approximation. The compatibility of g-factor measurements requires a deeper subtle analysis in order to …


Search For Tensor, Vector, And Scalar Polarizations In The Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website. May 2018

Search For Tensor, Vector, And Scalar Polarizations In The Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The detection of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo has enabled novel tests of general relativity, including direct study of the polarization of gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for only two tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories can additionally predict two vector and two scalar polarizations. The polarization of gravitational waves is encoded in the spectral shape of the stochastic gravitational-wave background, formed by the superposition of cosmological and individually unresolved astrophysical sources. Using data recorded by Advanced LIGO during its first observing run, we search for a stochastic background of generically polarized gravitational waves. We find …


First Search For Nontensorial Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website. Jan 2018

First Search For Nontensorial Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars, Benjamin P. Abbott, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present results from the first directed search for nontensorial gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for tensorial (plus and cross) modes only, a generic metric theory may, in principle, predict waves with up to six different polarizations. This analysis is sensitive to continuous signals of scalar, vector, or tensor polarizations, and does not rely on any specific theory of gravity. After searching data from the first observation run of the advanced LIGO detectors for signals at twice the rotational frequency of 200 known pulsars, we find no evidence of gravitational waves of any polarization. We report the first upper …