Tests of scalar polarizations with multi-messenger events

TL;DR

This paper tests Einstein's General Relativity using gravitational wave data from GW170817, incorporating electromagnetic constraints to limit possible deviations and explore additional polarization modes.

Contribution

It introduces a combined gravitational and electromagnetic framework to constrain non-GR polarization modes, improving bounds on scalar and tensor modifications.

Findings

Mild preference for a scalar mode at ~2 sigma for quadrupole harmonics.

No preference for scalar mode in dipole harmonics.

Electromagnetic constraints significantly tighten bounds on non-GR parameters.

Abstract

Gravitational wave (GW) observations provide a unique opportunity to test Einstein's General Relativity (GR) in the strong-field regime. While GR predicts only two tensor polarization modes, generic metric theories allow up to six independent modes. We perform a parameterized test of GR using the parameterized post-Einsteinian (PPE) framework applied to GW170817, incorporating for the first time the polarization angle constraints from the gamma-ray burst afterglow alongside other electromagnetic (EM) counterpart information. We extend the GR waveform by adding a scalar breathing mode and modifications to the tensor modes, introducing three non-GR parameters. We perform Bayesian inference for both quadrupole $\ell = |m|= 2$ and dipole $\ell = |m|= 1$ angular harmonics, with two frequency evolution models. For $\ell = |m|= 2$ , we find mild preference for a scalar mode (scalar amplitude deviates from zero at $\sim 2 \sigma$), while for the $\ell = |m|= 1$, we find no preference for a scalar mode. The EM constraint on the polarization angle places very tight bounds on non-GR parameters; for instance, in the case $\ell = |m| = 2$, the bound on the scalar (tensor) amplitude modification parameter improves by roughly $60\%$ $(30\%)$, highlighting the impact that long-term follow up of GW events can have on tests of gravity.