English

GW170814: Gravitational wave polarization analysis

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2021-07-07 v4

Abstract

To determine the polarization character of gravitational waves, we use strain data from the GW170814 binary black hole coalescence event detected by the three LIGO-Virgo observatories, extracting the gravitational wave strain signal amplitude ratios directly from those data. Employing a geometric approach that links those ratios to the gravitational wave polarization properties, we find that there is a range of source sky locations, partially overlapping the LIGI-Virgo 90% credible range of GW170814 source locations, for which vector polarization is consistent with the observed amplitude ratios. A Bayesian inference analysis indicates that the GW170814 data cannot rule out vector polarization for gravitational waves. Confirmation of a vector polarization component of gravitational waves would be a sign of post-general relativity physics.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1802.01193,
  title  = {GW170814: Gravitational wave polarization analysis},
  author = {Robert C. Hilborn},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.01193},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

This version adds (1) enhanced analysis of the raw LIGO-Virgo strain data and (2) Bayesian inference methods for testing polarization models

R2 v1 2026-06-23T00:10:22.998Z