Gravitational scattering of zero-rest-mass plane waves

Walter K. De Logi, Sándor J. Kovács

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have used the Feynman-diagram technique to calculate the differential cross sections d σd Ω for the scattering of zero-rest-mass plane waves of spin 0, 1, and 2 by linearized Schwarzschild and Kerr geometries in the long-wavelength, weak-field limit (wavelength of incident radiation >> radius of scatterer >> mass of scatterer). We find that the polarization of right (or left) circularly polarized electromagnetic waves is unaffected by the scattering process (i.e., helicity is conserved), and that the two helicity (polarization) states of the photon are scattered differently by the Kerr geometry. This coupling between the photon helicity and the angular momentum of the scatterer also leads to a partial polarization of unpolarized incident light. For gravitational waves, on the other hand, there is neither helicity conservation nor helicity-dependent scattering; and the angular momentum of the scatterer has no polarizing effect on incident, unpolarized gravitational waves.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)237-244
Number of pages8
JournalPhysical Review D
Volume16
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1977

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