Relativistic Elastic Response to Gravitational Waves: Explicit Solutions for a Rectangular Plate

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Natário, José, Nazaré, Filipe
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Natário, José
Nazaré, Filipe
author_facet Natário, José
Nazaré, Filipe
contents We study the interaction between gravitational waves and elastic bodies within the framework of relativistic elasticity. Starting from the Lagrangian formulation of relativistic elasticity, we derive the linearized equations governing the response of a homogeneous and isotropic solid to a weak gravitational wave by expanding the action to quadratic order in the elastic field derivatives and to linear order in the metric perturbation. In this way, Dyson's interaction term from the effective potential approach emerges naturally from the relativistic theory. We then apply the formalism to a thin rectangular elastic plate aligned with the direction of propagation and polarization of a plus-polarized gravitational wave. For a material with vanishing Poisson ratio, the equations decouple and admit simple explicit solutions. We obtain closed-form expressions for the induced displacements and for the energy deposited on the plate by both short gravitational wave bursts and continuous harmonic waves. Finally, we compute the gravitational wave emission generated by the oscillating plate itself under continuous harmonic excitation. These results provide a fully relativistic derivation of the elastic response to gravitational waves together with explicit solvable examples relevant to resonant gravitational wave detectors.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_28932
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Relativistic Elastic Response to Gravitational Waves: Explicit Solutions for a Rectangular Plate
Natário, José
Nazaré, Filipe
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Mathematical Physics
35L05, 74K20, 83C35, 83C55
We study the interaction between gravitational waves and elastic bodies within the framework of relativistic elasticity. Starting from the Lagrangian formulation of relativistic elasticity, we derive the linearized equations governing the response of a homogeneous and isotropic solid to a weak gravitational wave by expanding the action to quadratic order in the elastic field derivatives and to linear order in the metric perturbation. In this way, Dyson's interaction term from the effective potential approach emerges naturally from the relativistic theory. We then apply the formalism to a thin rectangular elastic plate aligned with the direction of propagation and polarization of a plus-polarized gravitational wave. For a material with vanishing Poisson ratio, the equations decouple and admit simple explicit solutions. We obtain closed-form expressions for the induced displacements and for the energy deposited on the plate by both short gravitational wave bursts and continuous harmonic waves. Finally, we compute the gravitational wave emission generated by the oscillating plate itself under continuous harmonic excitation. These results provide a fully relativistic derivation of the elastic response to gravitational waves together with explicit solvable examples relevant to resonant gravitational wave detectors.
title Relativistic Elastic Response to Gravitational Waves: Explicit Solutions for a Rectangular Plate
topic General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Mathematical Physics
35L05, 74K20, 83C35, 83C55
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.28932