Gravitational waves physics using Fermi coordinates: a new teaching perspective

TL;DR

This paper proposes using Fermi coordinates to teach gravitational wave physics, providing a more physically meaningful and observable-based approach that could improve undergraduate education in this field.

Contribution

It introduces a novel teaching method employing Fermi coordinates and gravitoelectromagnetic analogy for clearer understanding of gravitational waves.

Findings

Fermi coordinates relate directly to observable quantities.

Gravitational waves can be described using electric-like and magnetic-like forces.

This approach may reduce misconceptions in teaching gravitational wave physics.

Abstract

The detection of gravitational waves is possible thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, involving different disciplines such as astrophysics, physics, engineering and quantum optics. Consequently, it is important today for teachers to introduce the basic features of gravitational waves science in the undergraduate curriculum. The usual approach to gravitational wave physics is based on the use of traceless and transverse coordinates, which do not have a direct physical meaning and, in a teaching perspective, may cause misconceptions. In this paper, using Fermi coordinates, which are simply related to observable quantities, we show that it is possible to introduce a gravitoelectromagnetic analogy that describes the action of gravitational waves on test masses in terms of electric-like and magnetic-like forces. We suggest that this approach could be more suitable when introducing the basic principles of gravitational waves physics to students.