An Overview of Gravitational Waves

Theory, Sources and Detection

This book describes detection techniques used to search for and analyze gravitational waves (GW). It covers the whole domain of GW science, starting from the theory and ending with the experimental techniques (both present and future) used to detect them.

The theoretical sections of the book address the theory of general relativity and of GW, followed by the theory of GW detection. The various sources of GW are described as well as the methods used to analyse them and to extract their physical parameters. It includes an analysis of the consequences of GW observations in terms of astrophysics as well as a description of the different detectors that exist and that are planned for the future.

With the recent announcement of GW detection and the first results from LISA Pathfinder, this book will allow non-specialists to understand the present status of the field and the future of gravitational wave science.

Contents:

• Theory of Gravitational Waves (Alexandre Le Tiec and Jérôme Novak)
• Gravitational Wave Sources in the Era of Multi-Band Gravitational Wave Astronomy (Monica Colpi and Alberto Sesana)
• Theory of Gravitational Wave Detection (Jean Yves Vinet)
• Present and Future Ground-Based Detectors (Giacomo Ciani and Paul Fulda)
• Space-Based Laser Interferometric Observatories (Guido Mueller)
• LISA Pathfinder (Rita Dolesi)
• Pulsar Timing Array (Antoine Petiteau)
• Future Gravitational Wave Detectors Based on Atom Interferometry (Remi Geiger)

Readership: Graduate students and researchers interested in the theory and experimental detection of gravitational waves.
Key Features:

• This book is the first one to cover the whole area of gravitational wave theory and detection