The Electromagnetic Field in Gravitational Wave Interferometers

Date: July 6, 2022
Time: 06:00 CEST
Event: 23rd International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation (GR23)
Location: Beijing, China

Abstract: The response of laser-interferometric detectors to gravitational waves is commonly modelled using approximation schemes such as the geodesic deviation equation or geometric optics, lacking a thorough justification. In this talk, I will present a refined model of such detectors, avoiding such approximation schemes, based on Maxwell’s equations in curved space-time. This analysis allows to estimate the errors of previous approximations and also resolves ambiguities in some previous calculations for the limiting case of co-propagating electromagnetic and gravitational waves. This talk is based on joint work with P. Chruściel and S. Palenta (arXiv:2107.07727 and arXiv:2112.05784).

Relevant publications:

• The response of laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors beyond the eikonal equation
• The electromagnetic field in gravitational wave interferometers