# Strong gravity signatures in the polarization of gravitational waves

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a new method to detect deviations from General Relativity in strong gravity regimes by analyzing polarization differences in gravitational waves, aiding future tests of gravity theories.

## Contribution

It introduces a diagnostic parameter based on polarization mismatch to distinguish General Relativity from modified gravity theories using gravitational wave data.

## Key findings

- Polarizations differ in modified gravity theories.
- A diagnostic parameter for polarization mismatch is proposed.
- Method can help identify deviations from General Relativity.

## Abstract

General Relativity is a hugely successful description of gravitation. However, both theory and observations suggest that General Relativity might have significant classical and quantum corrections in the Strong Gravity regime. Testing the strong field limit of gravity is one of the main objectives of the future gravitational wave detectors. One way to detect strong gravity is through the polarization of gravitational waves. For quasi-normal modes of black-holes in General Relativity, the two polarisation states of gravitational waves have the same amplitude and frequency spectrum. Using the principle of energy conservation, we show that, the polarisations differ for modified gravity theories. We obtain a diagnostic parameter for polarization mismatch that provides a unique way to distinguish General Relativity and modified gravity theories in gravitational wave detectors.