Gravitational waves physics using Fermi coordinates: a new teaching perspective

Abstract

The detection of gravitational waves is possible thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, involving different disciplines such as astrophysics, physics, engineering and quantum optics. Consequently, it is important today for teachers to introduce the basic features of gravitational waves science in the undergraduate curriculum. The usual approach to gravitational wave physics is based on the use of traceless and transverse coordinates, which do not have a direct physical meaning and, in a teaching perspective, may cause misconceptions. In this paper, using Fermi coordinates, which are simply related to observable quantities, we show that it is possible to introduce a gravitoelectromagnetic analogy that describes the action of gravitational waves on test masses in terms of electric-like and magnetic-like forces. We suggest that this approach could be more suitable when introducing the basic principles of gravitational waves physics to students.

20 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in the American Journal of Physics

References in corpus (4)

• Relativistic Binary Pulsar B1913+16: Thirty Years of Observations and Analysis
• Fermi-normal, optical, and wave-synchronous coordinates for spacetime with a plane gravitational wave
• Gravito-magnetic resonance in the field of a gravitational wave
• Opportunities for Multimessenger Astronomy in the 2020s

Cited by in corpus (9)

• A note on the gravitoelectromagnetic analogy
• Galactic Dynamics in General Relativity: the Role of Gravitomagnetism
• A tale of analogies: gravitomagnetic effects, rotating sources, observers and all that
• Gravitomagnetic Stern--Gerlach Force
• Gravitomagnetic induction in the field of a gravitational wave
• Quantum fluctuation theorem in a curved spacetime
• Detecting gravitational waves with light
• Quantum two-level systems and gravitational waves
• A note on the description of plane gravitational waves in Fermi coordinates