Particle production in a gravitational wave background

Abstract

We study the possibility that massless particles, such as photons, are produced by a gravitational wave. That such a process should occur is implied by tree-level, Feynman diagrams such as two gravitons turning into two photons i.e. $g+g\to \gamma +\gamma$. Here we calculate the rate at which a gravitational wave creates a massless, scalar field. This is done by placing the scalar field in the background of a plane gravitational wave and calculating the 4-current of the scalar field. Even in the vacuum limit of the scalar field it has a non-zero vacuum expectation value (similar to what occurs in the Higgs mechanism) and a non-zero current. We associate this with the production of scalar field quanta by the gravitational field. This effect has potential consequences for the attenuation of gravitational waves since the massless field is being produced at the expense of the gravitational field. This is related to the time-dependent Schwinger effect, but with the electric field replaced by the the gravitational wave background and the electron/positron field quanta replaced by massless scalar "photons". Since the produced scalar quanta are massless there is no exponential suppression as occurs in the Schwinger effect due to the electron mass.

arXiv comment18 pages. No figures. Added references, revised discussion. Accepted for publication in PRD

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• A new approach to detecting gravitational waves via the coupling of gravity to the zero-point energy of the phonon modes of a superconductor
• Low frequency electromagnetic radiation coming from gravitational waves generated by neutron stars
• Scalar and Fermion field interactions with a gravitational wave
• Interaction between gravitational radiation and electromagnetic radiation
• Gravitational wave signals in an Unruh-DeWitt detector
• Quantum break in high intensity gravitational wave interactions
• Entanglement and squeezing of gravitational waves
• Gravitational wave imprints on spontaneous emission
• Gravity's light in the shadow of the Moon
• Particle Creation in a Linear Gravitational Wave Background
• Signatures of electromagnetic and sound radiation produced by gravitational waves in core-collapse supernovae