arXiv subjects

Wei-Tou Ni

Publications and source records attributed to Wei-Tou Ni.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Gravitational wave astronomy: the current status

In the centenary year of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, this paper reviews the current status of gravitational wave astronomy across a spectrum which stretches from attohertz to kilohertz frequencies. Sect. 1 of this paper reviews the historical development of gravitational wave astronomy from Einstein's first prediction to our current understanding the spectrum. It is shown that detection of signals in the audio frequency spectrum can be expected very soon, and that a north-south pair of next generation detectors would provide large scientific benefits. Sect. 2 reviews the theory of gravitational waves and the principles of detection using laser interferometry. The state of the art Advanced LIGO detectors are then described. These detectors have a high chance of detecting the first events in the near future. Sect. 3 reviews the KAGRA detector currently under development in Japan, which will be the first laser interferometer detector to use cryogenic test masses. Sect. 4 of this paper reviews gravitational wave detection in the nanohertz frequency band using the technique of pulsar timing. Sect. 5 reviews the status of gravitational wave detection in the attohertz frequency band, detectable in the polarisation of the cosmic microwave background, and discusses the prospects for detection of primordial waves from the big bang. The techniques described in sects. 1-5 have already placed significant limits on the strength of gravitational wave sources. Sects. 6 and 7 review ambitious plans for future space based gravitational wave detectors in the millihertz frequency band. Sect. 6 presents a roadmap for development of space based gravitational wave detectors by China while sect. 7 discusses a key enabling technology for space interferometry known as time delay interferometry.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Equivalence Principles, Spacetime Structure and the Cosmic Connection

After reviewing the meaning of various equivalence principles and the structure of electrodynamics, we give a fairly detailed account of the construction of the light cone and a core metric from the equivalence principle for the photon (no birefringence, no polarization rotation and no amplification/attenuation in propagation) in the framework of linear electrodynamics using cosmic connections/observations as empirical support. The cosmic nonbirefringent propagation of photons independent of energy and polarization verifies the Galileo Equivalence Principle [Universality of Propagation] for photons/electromagnetic wave packets in spacetime. This nonbirefringence constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. Constraints on axion and dilaton from astrophysical/cosmic propagation are reviewed. Eötvös-type experiments, Hughes-Drever-type experiments, redshift experiments then constrain and tie this core metric to agree with the matter metric, and hence a unique physical metric and universality of metrology. We summarize these experiments and review how the Galileo equivalence principle constrains the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) theoretically. In local physics this physical metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Understanding that the metric and EEP come from the vacuum as a medium of electrodynamics in the linear regime, efforts to actively look for potential effects beyond this linear scheme are warranted.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Gravitational waves: Classification, Methods of detection, Sensitivities, and Sources

After giving a brief introduction and presenting a complete classification of gravitational waves (GWs) according to their frequencies, we review and summarize the detection methods, the sensitivities, and the sources. We notice that real-time detections are possible above 300 pHz. Below 300 pHz, the detections are possible on GW imprints or indirectly. We are on the verge of detection. The progress in this field will be promising and thriving. We will see improvement of a few orders to several orders of magnitude in the GW detection sensitivities over all frequency bands in the next hundred years.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

General relativity and cosmology

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of Einstein's 1915 landmark paper "Die Feldgleichungen der Gravitation" in which the field equations of general relativity were correctly formulated for the first time, thus rendering general relativity a complete theory. Over the subsequent hundred years physicists and astronomers have struggled with uncovering the consequences and applications of these equations. This contribution, which was written as an introduction to six chapters dealing with the connection between general relativity and cosmology that will appear in the two-volume book "One Hundred Years of General Relativity: From Genesis and Empirical Foundations to Gravitational Waves, Cosmology and Quantum Gravity," endeavors to provide a historical overview of the connection between general relativity and cosmology, two areas whose development has been closely intertwined.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Quantum Gravity: A Brief History of Ideas and Some Prospects

We present a bird's-eye survey on the development of fundamental ideas of quantum gravity, placing emphasis on perturbative approaches, string theory, loop quantum gravity, and black hole thermodynamics. The early ideas at the dawn of quantum gravity as well as the possible observations of quantum gravitational effects in the foreseeable future are also briefly discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

Searches for the role of spin and polarization in gravity: a five-year update

Searches for the role of spin in gravitation dated before the firm establishment of the electron spin in 1925. Since mass and spin, or helicity in the case of zero mass, are the Casimir invariants of the Poincaré group and mass participates in universal gravitation, these searches are natural steps to pursue. In this update, we report on the progress on this topic in the last five years after our last review. We begin with how is Lorentz/Poincaré group in local physics arisen from spacetime structure as seen by photon and matter through experiments/observations. The cosmic verification of the Galileo Equivalence Principle for photons/electromagnetic wave packets (Universality of Propagation in spacetime independent of photon energy and polarization, i.e. nonbirefringence) constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Hughes-Drever-type experiments then constrain this core metric to agree with the matter metric. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. In local physics this metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Constraints on axion and dilaton from polarized/unpolarized laboratory/astrophysical/cosmic experiments/observations are presented. In the end, we review the theoretical progress on the issue of gyrogravitational ratio for fundamental particles and the experimental progress on the measurements of possible long range/intermediate range spin-spin, spin-monopole and spin-cosmos interactions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Spacetime structure and asymmetric metric from the premetric formulation of electromagnetism

After reviewing the construction of metric from premetric electrodynamics with empirical improvement of accuracy in the skewonless case, we explore the role of skewons in the construction of spacetime metric in the full premetric electrodynamics. For metric principal part plus skewon part, we have shown that the Type I skewon part is constrained to < a few x 10^(-35) in the weak field/weak EEP violation limit. Type II skewon part is not constrained in the first order. However, in the second order it induces birefringence; the nonbirefringence observations constrain the Type II skewon part to 10^(-19). Nevertheless, an additional nonmetric induced second-order contribution to the principal part constitutive tensor compensates the Type II skewon birefringence and makes it nonbirefringent. This second-order contribution is just the extra piece to the core-metric principal constitutive tensor induced by the antisymmetric tensor. From the Tamm-Rubilar tensor density and the dispersion relation for the spacetime medium with the asymmetric-metric-induced constitutive tensor, we know that it is nonbirefringent. The antisymmetric metric induced constitutive tensor has a pseudoscalar part in the decomposition. The variation of his part is constrained by observation on cosmic polarization rotation to < 0.03, and gives one constraint on the 6-degree-of-freedom antisymmetric metric. Further studies of these 6 degrees of freedom experimental and theoretically are desired.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Dilaton field and cosmic wave propagation

We study the electromagnetic wave propagation in the joint dilaton field and axion field. Dilaton field induces amplification/attenuation in the propagation while axion field induces polarization rotation. The amplification/attenuation induced by dilaton is independent of the frequency (energy) and the polarization of electromagnetic waves (photons). From observations, the agreement with and the precise calibration of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) to blackbody radiation constrains the fractional change of dilaton |Δψ|/ψ to less than about 8 x 10^(-4) since the time of the last scattering surface of the CMB.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Orbit optimization and time delay interferometry for inclined ASTROD-GW formation with half-year precession-period

ASTROD-GW (ASTROD [Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices] optimized for Gravitational Wave detection) is a gravitational-wave mission with the aim of detecting gravitational waves from massive black holes, extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) and galactic compact binaries, together with testing relativistic gravity and probing dark energy and cosmology. Mission orbits of the 3 spacecrafts forming a nearly equilateral triangular array are chosen to be near the Sun-Earth Lagrange points L3, L4 and L5. The 3 spacecrafts range interferometrically with one another with arm length about 260 million kilometers. For 260 times longer arm length, the detection sensitivity of ASTROD-GW is 260 fold better than that of eLISA/NGO in the lower frequency region by assuming the same acceleration noise. Therefore, ASTROD-GW will be a better cosmological probe. In previous papers, we have worked out the time delay interferometry (TDI) for the ecliptic formation. To resolve the reflection ambiguity about the ecliptic plane in source position determination, we have changed the basic formation into slightly inclined formation with half-year precession-period. In this paper, we optimize a set of 10-year inclined ASTROD-GW mission orbits numerically using ephemeris framework starting at June 21, 2035, including cases of inclination angle is 0° (no inclination), 0.5°, 1.0°, 1.5°, 2.0°, 2.5° and 3.0°. We simulate the time delays of the first and second generation TDI configurations for the different inclinations, and compare/analyse the numerical results to attain the requisite sensitivity of ASTROD-GW by suppressing laser frequency noise below the secondary noises. To explicate our calculation process for different inclination cases, we take the 1.0° as example to show the orbit optimization and TDI simulation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

New Constraints on Cosmic Polarization Rotation from B-Mode Polarization in Cosmic Microwave Background

STPpol, POLARBEAR and BICEP2 have recently measured the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization in various sky regions of several tens of square degrees and obtained BB power spectra in the multipole range 20-3000, detecting the components due to gravitational lensing and to inflationary gravitational waves. We analyze jointly the results of these three experiments and propose modifications of their analysis of the spectra to include in the model, in addition to the gravitational lensing and the inflationary gravitational waves components, also the effects induced by the cosmic polarization rotation (CPR), if it exists within current upper limits. Although in principle our analysis would lead also to new constraints on CPR, in practice these can only be given on its fluctuations <δα^2>, since constraints on its mean angle are inhibited by the de-rotation which is applied by current CMB polarization experiments, in order to cope with the insufficient calibration of the polarization angle. The combined data fits from all three experiments (with 29% CPR-SPTpol correlation, depending on theoretical model) gives constraint <δα^2>^1/2 < 27.3 mrad (1.56°) with r = 0.194 \pm 0.033. These results show that the present data are consistent with no CPR detection and the constraint on CPR fluctuation is about 1.5°. This method of constraining the cosmic polarization rotation is new, is complementary to previous tests, which use the radio and optical/UV polarization of radio galaxies and the CMB E-mode polarization, and adds a new constraint for the sky areas observed by SPTpol, POLARBEAR and BICEP2.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Anomalous character of the axion-photon coupling in a magnetic field distorted by a pp-wave gravitational background

We study the problem of axion-photon coupling in the magnetic field influenced by gravitational radiation. We focus on exact solutions to the equations for axion electrodynamics in the pp-wave gravitational background for two models with initially constant magnetic field. The first model describes the response of an initially constant magnetic field in a gravitational-wave vacuum with unit refraction index; the second model is characterized by a non-unit refraction index prescribed to the presence of ordinary and/or dark matter. We show that both models demonstrate anomalous behavior of the electromagnetic field generated by the axion-photon coupling in the presence of magnetic field, evolving in the gravitational wave background. The role of axionic dark matter in the formation of the anomalous response of this electrodynamic system is discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Skewon field and cosmic wave propagation

For the study of the gravitational coupling of electromagnetism and the equivalence principle, we have used the spacetime constitutive tensor density {chi}ijkl, and discovered the nonmetric (axion) part (A){chi}ijkl (equal to {phi}eijkl) of {chi}ijkl worthy investigation. Since we have used Lagrangian formalism, {chi}ijkl is effectively symmetric under the interchange of index pairs, ij and kl, and has 21 independent degrees of freedom. Hehl, Obukhov and Rubilar have started from charge-flux formalism to study electromagnetism, discovered the antisymmetric part (Sk){chi}ijkl (15 degrees of freedom) of {chi}ijkl under the interchange of index pairs ij and kl worthy investigation, and called it skewon field. In this paper, we study the propagation of the Hehl-Obukhov-Rubilar skewon field in weak gravity field/dilute matter or with weak violation of the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP), and further classify it into Type I and Type II skewons. From the dispersion relation we show that no dissipation/no amplification condition implies that the additional skewon field must be of Type II. For Type I skewon field, the dissipation/amplification is proportional to the frequency and the CMB spectrum would deviate from Planck spectrum. From the high precision agreement of the CMB spectrum to 2.755 K Planck spectrum, we constrain the Type I cosmic skewon field (SkI){chi}ijkl to less than a few x 10-35. The skewon part of constitutive tensor constructed from asymmetric metric is of Type II, hence is allowed. This study may also find applications in macroscopic electrodynamics in the case of laser pumped medium or dissipative medium.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Proton radius puzzle and large extra dimensions

We propose a theoretical scenario to solve the proton radius puzzle which recently arises from the muonic hydrogen experiment. In this framework, 4 + n dimensional theory is incorporated with modified gravity. The extra gravitational interaction between the proton and muon at very short range provides an energy shift which accounts for the discrepancy between spectroscopic results from muonic and electronic hydrogen experiments. Assuming the modified gravity is a small perturbation to the existing electromagnetic interaction, we find the puzzle can be solved with stringent constraint on the range of the new force. Our result not only provides a possible solution to the proton radius puzzle but also suggest a direction to test new physics at very small length scale.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Numerical simulation of time delay interferometry for eLISA/NGO

eLISA/NGO is a new gravitational wave detection proposal with arm length of 10^6 km and one interferometer down-scaled from LISA. Just like LISA and ASTROD-GW, in order to attain the requisite sensitivity for eLISA/NGO, laser frequency noise must be suppressed to below the secondary noises such as the optical path noise, acceleration noise etc. In previous papers, we have performed the numerical simulation of the time delay interferometry (TDI) for LISA and ASTROD-GW with one arm dysfunctional by using the CGC 2.7 ephemeris. The results are well below their respective limits which the laser frequency noise is required to be suppressed. In this paper, we follow the same procedure to simulate the time delay interferometry numerically. To do this, we work out a set of 1000-day optimized mission orbits of the eLISA/NGO spacecraft starting at January 1st, 2021 using the CGC 2.7 ephemeris framework. We then use the numerical method to calculate the residual optical path differences in the second-generation TDI solutions as in our previous papers. The maximum path length difference, for all configurations calculated, is below 13 mm (43 ps). It is well below the limit which the laser frequency noise is required to be suppressed for eLISA/NGO. We compare and discuss the resulting differences due to the different arm lengths for various mission proposals -- eLISA/NGO, an NGO-LISA-type mission with a nominal arm length of 2 x 10^6 km, LISA and ASTROD-GW.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Loop quantization of spherically symmetric midisuperspaces and loop quantum geometry of the maximally extended Schwarzschild spacetime

We elaborate on the Ashtekar's formalism for spherically symmetric midisuperspaces and, for loop quantization, propound a new quantization scheme which yields a graph-preserving Hamiltonian constraint operator and by which one can impose the fundamental discreteness of loop quantum gravity a la the strategy of "improved" dynamics in loop quantum cosmology (LQC). Remarkable consequences are inferred at the heuristic level of effective dynamics: first, consistency of the constraint algebra regarding the Hamiltonian and diffeomorphism constraints fixes the improved quantization scheme to be of the form reminiscent of the improved scheme in LQC which preserves scaling invariance; second, consistency regarding two Hamiltonian constraints further demands the inclusion of higher order holonomy corrections and fixes a ratio factor of 2 for the improved scheme. It is suggested that the classical singularity is resolved and replaced by a quantum bounce which bridges a classical solution to another classical phase. However, the constraints violate briefly during the bouncing period, indicating that one cannot make sense of symmetry reduction by separating the degrees of freedom of the full theory into spherical and non-spherical ones in the vicinity of the quantum bounce, although the heuristic effective dynamics can still give a reliable semiclassical description of large-scale physics. Particularly, for the Schwarzschild solution in accordance with the Kruskal coordinates, revealing insights lead us to conjecture the complete quantum extension of the Schwarzschild spacetime: the black hole is evaporated via the Hawking radiation and meanwhile the quantum spacetime is largely extended from the classical one via the quantum bounce, suggesting that the information paradox might be resolved.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Deployment and simulation of the ASTROD-GW formation

Constellation or formation flying is a common concept in space Gravitational Wave (GW) mission proposals for the required interferometry implementation. The spacecraft of most of these mission proposals go to deep space and many have Earthlike orbits around the Sun. ASTROD-GW, Big Bang Observer and DECIGO have spacecraft distributed in Earthlike orbits in formation. The deployment of orbit formation is an important issue for these missions. ASTROD-GW (Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices optimized for Gravitation Wave detection) is to focus on the goal of detection of GWs. The mission orbits of the 3 spacecraft forming a nearly equilateral triangular array are chosen to be near the Sun-Earth Lagrange points L3, L4 and L5. The 3 spacecraft range interferometrically with one another with arm length about 260 million kilometers with the scientific goals including detection of GWs from Massive Black Holes (MBH), and Extreme-Mass-Ratio Black Hole Inspirals (EMRI), and using these observations to find the evolution of the equation of state of dark energy and to explore the co-evolution of massive black holes with galaxies. In this paper, we review the formation flying for fundamental physics missions, design the preliminary transfer orbits of the ASTROD-GW spacecraft from the separations of the launch vehicles to the mission orbits, and simulate the arm lengths of the triangular formation. From our study, the optimal delta-Vs and propellant ratios of the transfer orbits could be within about 2.5 km/s and 0.55, respectively. From the simulation of the formation for 10 years, the arm lengths of the formation vary in the range 1.73210 +- 0.00015 AU with the arm length differences varying in the range +- 0.00025 AU for formation with 1 degree inclination to the ecliptic plane. This meets the measurement requirements.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

ASTROD-GW: Overview and Progress

In this paper, we present an overview of ASTROD-GW (ASTROD [Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices] optimized for Gravitational Wave [GW] detection) mission concept and its studies. ASTROD-GW is an optimization of ASTROD which focuses on low frequency gravitational wave detection. The detection sensitivity is shifted by a factor of 260 (52) towards longer wavelengths compared with that of NGO/eLISA (LISA). The mission consists of three spacecraft, each of which orbits near one of the Sun-Earth Lagrange points (L3, L4 and L5), such that the array forms an almost equilateral triangle. The 3 spacecraft range interferometrically with one another with an arm length of about 260 million kilometers. The orbits have been optimized resulting in arm length changes of less than 0.00015 AU or, fractionally, less than 10^(-4) in twenty years, and relative Doppler velocities of the three spacecraft of less than 3 m/s. In this paper, we present an overview of the mission covering: the scientific aims, the sensitivity spectrum, the basic orbit configuration, the simulation and optimization of the spacecraft orbits, the deployment of ASTROD-GW formation, TDI (Time Delay Interferometry) and the payload. The science goals are the detection of GWs from (i) Supermassive Black Holes; (ii) Extreme-Mass-Ratio Black Hole Inspirals; (iii) Intermediate-Mass Black Holes; (iv) Galactic Compact Binaries and (v) Relic Gravitational Wave Background. For the purposes of primordial GW detection, a six spacecraft formation would be needed to enable the correlated detection of stochastic GWs. A brief discussion of the six spacecraft orbit optimization is also presented.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Astrodynamical Space Test of Relativity using Optical Devices I (ASTROD I) - Mission Overview

ASTROD I is the first planned space mission in a series of ASTROD missions for testing relativity in space using optical devices. The main aims are: (i) to test General Relativity with an improvement of three orders of magnitude compared to current results, (ii) to measure solar and solar system parameters with improved accuracy, (iii) to test the constancy of the gravitational constant and in general to get a deeper understanding of gravity. The first ideas for the ASTROD missions go back to the last century when new technologies in the area of laser physics and time measurement began to appear on the horizon. ASTROD is a mission concept that is supported by a broad international community covering the areas of space technology, fundamental physics, high performance laser and clock technology and drag free control. While ASTROD I is a single-spacecraft concept that performes measurements with pulsed laser ranging between the spacecraft and earthbound laser ranging stations, ASTROD-GW is planned to be a three spacecraft mission with inter-spacecraft laser ranging. ASTROD-GW would be able to detect gravitational waves at frequencies below the eLISA/NGO bandwidth. As a third step Super-ASTROD with larger orbits could even probe primordial gravitational waves. This article gives an overview on the basic principles especially for ASTROD I.

gr-qc↗