Interferometric detection of gravitational waves: the definitive test for General Relativity

Even if Einstein's General Relativity achieved a great success and overcame lots of experimental tests, it also showed some shortcomings and flaws which today advise theorists to ask if it is the definitive theory of gravity. In this essay we show that, if advanced projects on the detection of Gravitational Waves (GWs) will improve their sensitivity, allowing to perform a GWs astronomy, accurate angular and frequency dependent response functions of interferometers for GWs arising from various Theories of Gravity, i.e. General Relativity and Extended Theories of Gravity, will be the definitive test for General Relativity. The papers which found this essay have been the world's most cited in the official Astroparticle Publication Review of ASPERA during the 2007 with 13 citations.

Note:

Essay dedicated to my wife Maria and written for the 2009 Gravity Research Foundation Awards: Honorable Mention Winner

general relativity: validity test
gravitational radiation
interferometer: angular dependence
dependence: frequency
sensitivity
gravitation: model

References(23)

Figures(0)

Status of gravitational wave detection

Adalberto Giazotto
(
- INFN, Pisa
)

- J.Phys.Conf.Ser. 120 (2008) 032002
•
DOI:
- 10.1088/1742-6596/120/3/032002

- JCAP 04 009

Massive gravitational waves from the R**2 theory of gravity: Production and response of interferometers

Christian Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U.
)

- Int.J.Mod.Phys.A 23 (2008) 1521-1535
•
e-Print:
- 0711.4917
•
DOI:
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Scalar gravitational waves from scalar-tensor gravity: Production and response of interferometers

S. Capozziello
(
- Naples U. and
- INFN, Naples
)
,
C. Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U. and
- EGO, Pisa
)

- Int.J.Mod.Phys.D 15 (2006) 1119-1150
•
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Thibault Damour
(
- IHES, Bures-sur-Yvette and
- Meudon Observ.
)
,
Gilles Esposito-Farese
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)

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Christian Corda
(
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)

- Int.J.Mod.Phys.A 22 (2007) 4859-4881
•
e-Print:
- 0707.1943
•
DOI:
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Stochastic background of relic scalar gravitational waves from scalar-tensor gravity

Salvatore Capozziello
(
- Naples U. and
- INFN, Naples
)
,
Christian Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U.
)
,
Mariafelicia De Laurentis
(
- Turin Polytechnic and
- INFN, Turin
)

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•
e-Print:
- 0707.0368
•
DOI:
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Stochastic background of gravitational waves 'tuned' by f(R) gravity

Salvatore Capozziello
(
- Naples U. and
- INFN, Naples
)
,
Christian Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U.
)
,
Mariafelicia De Laurentis
(
- Turin Polytechnic and
- INFN, Turin
)

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•
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The Virgo-MiniGRAIL cross correlation for the detection of scalar gravitational waves

Christian Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U.
)

- Mod.Phys.Lett.A 22 (2007) 1727-1735
•
e-Print:
- 0706.3782
•
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(
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N. Bonasia
(
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)
,
M. Gasperini
(
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)

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Extended Theories of Gravity and their Cosmological and Astrophysical Applications

Salvatore Capozziello
(
- Naples U. and
- INFN, Naples
)
,
Mauro Francaviglia
(
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- INFN, Turin
)

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e-Print:
- 0706.1146
•
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•
e-Print:
- 0805.1249
•
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- 10.1088/0264-9381/25/20/205002

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Alexei A. Starobinsky
(
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- Landau Inst.
)

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P.J.E. Peebles
(
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)
,
Bharat Ratra
(
- Kansas State U.
)

- Rev.Mod.Phys. 75 (2003) 559-606,
•
e-Print:
- astro-ph/0207347
•
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The One-loop effective action in phi**4 theory coupled non-linearly with curvature power and dynamical origin of cosmological constant

T. Inagaki
(
- Flinders U. and
- Hiroshima U.
)
,
S. Nojiri
(
- Japan, Natl. Defence Academy
)
,
S.D. Odintsov
(
- Barcelona, IEEC and
- Tomsk Pedagogical Inst.
)

- JCAP 06 (2005) 010
•
e-Print:
- gr-qc/0504054
•
DOI:
- 10.1088/1475-7516/2005/06/010

A solution of linearized Einstein field equations in vacuum used for the detection of the stochastic background of gravitational waves

Christian Corda
(
- INFN, Pisa and
- Pisa U.
)

- Astropart.Phys. 27 (2007) 539-549
•
e-Print:
- 0806.3397
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2007.04.001