Non-linear Plane Gravitational Waves as Space-time Defects

TL;DR

This paper explores the idea of modeling non-linear plane gravitational waves as space-time defects and investigates a potential new approach to quantize these waves, drawing analogies from continuum mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective by representing gravitational waves as space-time defects and proposes an alternative method for their quantization.

Findings

Burgers vector constructed for gravitational waves

Analogies drawn between space-time defects and continuum systems

Proposed new approach to quantize plane gravitational waves

Abstract

We consider non-linear plane gravitational waves as propagating space-time defects, and construct the Burgers vector of the waves. In the context of classical continuum systems, the Burgers vector is a measure of the deformation of the medium, and at a microscopic (atomic) scale, it is a naturally quantized object. One purpose of the present article is ultimately to probe an alternative way on how to quantize plane gravitational waves.