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Gravitational waves from quasicircular black-hole binaries in dynamical Chern-Simons gravity
Kent Yagi1, Nicolás Yunes, Takahiro Tanaka
1Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 2, 2013
Summary
Dynamical Chern-Simons gravity can be tested using gravitational waves from black-hole binary inspirals. Advanced detectors could significantly improve constraints on this theory, offering insights beyond general relativity.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical physics
- Gravitational wave astronomy
Background:
- Dynamical Chern-Simons gravity aligns with general relativity in weak fields.
- Its distinct behavior emerges in nonlinear, dynamical regimes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate gravitational waves in Dynamical Chern-Simons gravity.
- To assess the potential for constraining this theory using gravitational wave observations.
Main Methods:
- Self-consistent calculation of gravitational waves within Dynamical Chern-Simons gravity.
- Analysis of gravitational wave signals from late black-hole binary inspirals.
Main Results:
- The first self-consistent gravitational wave calculations in this theory were completed.
- Favorable spin orientations show potential for significant constraint improvements.
Conclusions:
- Gravitational waves from black-hole mergers offer a powerful tool to probe Dynamical Chern-Simons gravity.
- Advanced detectors could enhance current constraints by six orders of magnitude.
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