The interaction of gravitational waves with matter

TL;DR

This paper reviews how gravitational waves interact with matter, especially viscous fluids, highlighting effects like damping and heating relevant to astrophysical phenomena such as supernovae and primordial waves.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of recent results on GW interactions with viscous fluids and their astrophysical implications.

Findings

Viscous fluids cause gravitational wave damping.

Gravitational waves transfer energy to viscous matter.

Effects are significant in supernovae and primordial GW scenarios.

Abstract

It is well-known that gravitational waves undergo no absorption or dissipation when traversing through a perfect fluid. However, in the presence of a viscous fluid, GWs transfer energy to the fluid medium. In this paper, we present a review of our recent series of results regarding the interaction between gravitational waves and surrounding matter. Additionally, we examine the impact of a viscous fluid shell on gravitational wave propagation, focusing particularly on GW damping and GW heating. Furthermore, we explore the significance of these effects in various astrophysical scenarios such as core-collapse Supernovae and primordial gravitational waves.