Helicity-Rotation-Gravity Coupling for Gravitational Waves

TL;DR

This paper explores how the helicity of gravitational waves interacts with rotation and gravitomagnetic fields, revealing effects like polarization rotation and modifications to Doppler and aberration phenomena.

Contribution

It extends the understanding of spin-rotation-gravity coupling to gravitational waves, showing polarization rotation and modifications in wave propagation due to rotation and gravitomagnetic effects.

Findings

Helicity-rotation coupling affects gravitational wave detection.

Linear polarization rotates by twice the Skrotskii angle in gravitomagnetic fields.

Modifications in Doppler effect and aberration for high-frequency gravitational waves.

Abstract

The consequences of spin-rotation-gravity coupling are worked out for linear gravitational waves. The coupling of helicity of the wave with the rotation of a gravitational-wave antenna is investigated and the resulting modifications in the Doppler effect and aberration are pointed out for incident high-frequency gravitational radiation. Extending these results to the case of a gravitomagnetic field via the gravitational Larmor theorem, the rotation of linear polarization of gravitational radiation propagating in the field of a rotating mass is studied. It is shown that in this case the linear polarization state rotates by twice the Skrotskii angle as a consequence of the spin-2 character of linear gravitational waves.