Self-consistent interaction of linear gravitational and electromagnetic waves in non-magnetized plasma

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Garg, Deepen, Dodin, I. Y.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Garg, Deepen
Dodin, I. Y.
author_facet Garg, Deepen
Dodin, I. Y.
contents This paper explores the hybridization of linear metric perturbations with linear electromagnetic (EM) perturbations in non-magnetized plasma for a general background metric. The local wave properties are derived from first principles for inhomogeneous plasma, without assuming any symmetries of the background metric. First, we derive the effective (``oscillation-center'') Hamiltonian that governs the average dynamics of plasma particles in a prescribed quasimonochromatic wave that involves metric perturbations and EM fields simultaneously. Then, using this Hamiltonian, we derive the backreaction of plasma particles on the wave itself and obtain gauge-invariant equations that describe the resulting self-consistent gravito-electromagnetic (GEM) waves in a plasma. The transverse tensor modes of gravitational waves are found to have no interaction with the plasma and the EM modes in the geometrical-optics limit. However, for ``longitudinal" GEM modes with large values of the refraction index, the interplay between gravitational and EM interactions in plasma can have a strong effect. In particular, the dispersion relation of the Jeans mode is significantly affected by electrostatic interactions. As a spin-off, our calculation also provides an alternative resolution of the so-called Jeans swindle.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_05844
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Self-consistent interaction of linear gravitational and electromagnetic waves in non-magnetized plasma
Garg, Deepen
Dodin, I. Y.
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
This paper explores the hybridization of linear metric perturbations with linear electromagnetic (EM) perturbations in non-magnetized plasma for a general background metric. The local wave properties are derived from first principles for inhomogeneous plasma, without assuming any symmetries of the background metric. First, we derive the effective (``oscillation-center'') Hamiltonian that governs the average dynamics of plasma particles in a prescribed quasimonochromatic wave that involves metric perturbations and EM fields simultaneously. Then, using this Hamiltonian, we derive the backreaction of plasma particles on the wave itself and obtain gauge-invariant equations that describe the resulting self-consistent gravito-electromagnetic (GEM) waves in a plasma. The transverse tensor modes of gravitational waves are found to have no interaction with the plasma and the EM modes in the geometrical-optics limit. However, for ``longitudinal" GEM modes with large values of the refraction index, the interplay between gravitational and EM interactions in plasma can have a strong effect. In particular, the dispersion relation of the Jeans mode is significantly affected by electrostatic interactions. As a spin-off, our calculation also provides an alternative resolution of the so-called Jeans swindle.
title Self-consistent interaction of linear gravitational and electromagnetic waves in non-magnetized plasma
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.05844