1998/07/30 by Robert R. Caldwell, R. R. Caldwell, Marc Kamionkowski +2 · 19 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Anisotropy #Astrophysics #Classical mechanics #Cosmic microwave background #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Detector #Electromagnetic radiation #General relativity #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Gravitational redshift #Gravitational wave #Gravitational-wave observatory #Interferometry #Optics #Physics #Planck #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Wavelength #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.59.027101
published in Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields 59(2) (American Physical Society) · 5 pages, 3 postscript figures
arxiv created 1998/07/30 · openalex publication_date 1998/12/24 · arxiv updated 2016/08/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Gravitational waves provide a laboratory for general relativity and a window to energetic astrophysical phenomena invisible with electromagnetic radiation. Several terrestrial detectors are currently under construction, and a space-based interferometer is envisioned for launch early next century to detect test-mass motions induced by waves of relatively short wavelength. Very-long-wavelength gravitational waves can be detected using the plasma in the early Universe as test masses; the motion induced in the plasma by a wave is imprinted onto the cosmic microwave background (CMB). While the signature of gravitational waves on the CMB temperature fluctuations is not unique, the polarization pattern can be used to unambiguously detect gravitational radiation. Thus, forthcoming CMB polarization experiments, such as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe and Planck, will be the first space-based gravitational-wave detectors.