Gravitational Optics: Self-phase modulation and harmonic cascades
arXiv:gr-qc/0209076 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.66.104009
Abstract
Nonlinear wave interaction of low amplitude gravitational waves in flat space-time is considered. Analogy with optics is established. It is shown that the flat metric space-time is equivalent to a centro-symmetric optical medium, with no second order susceptibility. The lowest order nonlinear effects are those due to the third order nonlinearity and include self-phase modulation and high harmonic generation. These processes lead to an efficient energy dilution of the gravitational wave energy over an increasingly large spectral range.
12 pages, REVTEX4