Constraints on Using Gravitational Waves to Test General Relativity

A recent paper by Alexander Cassem and Mark P. Hertzberg titled 'Unitarity, Causality, and Solar System Bounds, Significantly Limit Using Gravitational Waves to Test General Relativity' explores the limitations of using gravitational waves to test deviations from General Relativity. The authors argue that fundamental principles such as unitarity and causality impose significant constraints on the observational bounds of higher-order derivative corrections in pure gravity. These corrections, represented by higher powers of the Riemann curvature tensor in the effective action, are constrained by solar system tests, which already rule out observable consequences of quantum corrections to Newton's potential. The study concludes that current gravitational wave interferometers like LIGO and Virgo would need to improve their sensitivity by over seven orders of magnitude to avoid these constraints, making it challenging to detect deviations from General Relativity using gravitational waves alone.

The findings have significant implications for future research in gravitational wave astronomy and the testing of fundamental physics. The stringent requirements for sensitivity improvements highlight the need for advanced technological developments in interferometry. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of considering fundamental physical principles when interpreting observational data in the context of General Relativity.

For more details, refer to the paper by Alexander Cassem and Mark P. Hertzberg, available on arXiv with the identifier arXiv:2408.12118.