https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-08893-4
Regular Article – Theoretical Physics
Observation of gravitational waves by light polarization
1
National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, 34047, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 08826, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Received:
10
December
2020
Accepted:
18
January
2021
Published online:
30
January
2021
We provide analysis to determine the effects of gravitational waves on electromagnetic waves, using perturbation theory in general relativity. Our analysis is performed in a completely covariant manner without invoking any coordinates. For a given observer, using the geometrical-optics approach, we work out the perturbations of the phase, amplitude, frequency and polarization properties–axes of ellipse and ellipticity of light, due to gravitational waves. With regard to the observation of gravitational waves, we discuss the measurement of Stokes parameters, through which the antenna patterns are presented to show the detectability of the gravitational wave signals.
© The Author(s) 2021
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