München 2009 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

GR: Fachverband Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie

GR 4: Klassische Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie I

GR 4.3: Talk

Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 14:40–15:00, A214

Are gravitational waves essentially linear? — •Nikodem Szpak — Albert-Einstein-Institut, Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Golm

Einstein equations are obviously nonlinear while nonlinear wave equations, in general, have the property that also in the weak-field regime the propagating waves experience a nonlinear self-interaction and thus deviate from the linear approximation. We analyze how the special geometric structure of the Einstein equations determines the behavior of small amplitude gravitational waves and to what extent they behave as linear waves.