The Electromagnetic Field in Gravitational Wave Interferometers

TL;DR

This paper rigorously analyzes how gravitational waves affect electromagnetic fields in laser interferometers using full Maxwell equations in curved spacetime, confirming previous approximate results with a solid mathematical foundation.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous mathematical analysis of electromagnetic response in gravitational wave detectors, validating previous approximate methods with a well-posed boundary value problem.

Findings

Consistency with previous eikonal expansion results

Mathematically rigorous foundation for electromagnetic response

Validation of approximate calculations in current detector sensitivity

Abstract

We analyse the response of laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors using the full Maxwell equations in curved spacetime in the presence of weak gravitational waves. Existence and uniqueness of solutions is ensured by setting up a suitable boundary value problem. This puts on solid ground previous approximate calculations. We find consistency with previous results obtained from eikonal expansions at the level of accuracy accessible to current gravitational wave detectors.