Three Waves for Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This paper predicts two new massive classical gravitational waves from quantum gravity, constrains their masses experimentally, and explores their potential impact on astrophysical phenomena like binary inspirals.

Contribution

It introduces a model-independent prediction of two additional massive gravitational waves from quantum gravity and analyzes their astrophysical implications.

Findings

Two new massive classical gravitational waves predicted by quantum gravity.

Experimental limits set on the masses of these new modes.

Potential influence on neutron star and black hole binary inspirals.

Abstract

Using effective field theoretical methods, we show that besides the already observed gravitational waves, quantum gravity predicts two further massive classical fields leading to two new massive waves. We set a limit on the masses of these new modes using data from the E\"ot-Wash experiment. We point out that the existence of these new states is a model independent prediction of quantum gravity. We then explain how these new classical fields could impact astrophysical processes and in particular the binary inspirals of neutron stars or black holes. We calculate the emission rate of these new states in binary inspirals astrophysical processes.