Interferometric detection of gravitational waves arising from extended theories of gravity

TL;DR

This paper discusses how advanced gravitational wave detectors could differentiate between General Relativity and extended gravity theories by analyzing their specific response functions.

Contribution

It introduces the use of interferometric response functions to distinguish gravitational waves from different gravity theories.

Findings

Response functions vary between theories, enabling discrimination.

Enhanced detector sensitivity improves theory testing.

Potential for gravitational wave astronomy to test gravity theories.

Abstract

Even if Einstein's General Relativity achieved a great success and overcame lots of experimental tests, it also showed some shortcomings and flaws which today advise theorists to ask if it is the definitive theory of gravity. In this letter Proceeding we show that, by assuming that advanced projects on the detection of Gravitational Waves (GWs) will improve their sensitivity, allowing to perform a GWs astronomy, accurate angular and frequency dependent response functions of interferometers for GWs arising from various Theories of Gravity, i.e. General Relativity and Extended Theories of Gravity, could aim in discriminating among various theories.