Jovian planets as co-detectors of gravitational waves

TL;DR

This paper proposes using the coordinated acoustic oscillations of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Sun as a novel method to detect gravitational waves through correlation analysis, potentially enabling gravitational wave detection with planetary data.

Contribution

It introduces a new approach to gravitational wave detection by correlating oscillation data from giant planets and the Sun, exploiting their similar responses to gravitational waves.

Findings

Correlation analysis could identify gravitational waves.

Potential existing data may already contain detectable signals.

Method offers a new avenue for gravitational wave astronomy.

Abstract

Acoustic oscillations in stars can be driven by gravitational waves. However, at present it is not feasible to use the helioseismology data for their detection, since it is impossible to disentangle the uncertain driving contributions originating in the Sun itself. We here point out that any such wave will affect also Jupiter and Saturn in a similar $and$ $coordinated$ $way$; after all, they are mostly spheres of gas like the Sun, only one order of magnitude smaller. Hence, akin to the concept of coincidence detection in particle physics experiments, evaluation of the time-correlation function of the measured acoustic velocities of the same mode of oscillation of any two of these three objects will eliminate the (independent) internal effects; and observation of a peak in that correlation function will be tantamount to detection of a gravitational wave. There is a (slight) possibility that such detection has already occured.