Graviton to Photon Conversion in Curved Space-Time and External Magnetic Field

Abstract

The suppression of relic gravitational waves due to their conversion into electromagnetic radiation in a cosmological magnetic field is studied. The coupled system of equations describing gravitational and electromagnetic wave propagation in an arbitrary curved space-time and in external magnetic field is derived. The subsequent elimination of photons from the beam due to their interaction with the primary plasma is taken into account. The resulting system of equations is solved numerically in the Friedman–LeMaitre–Robertson–Walker metric for the upper limit of the intergalactic magnetic field strength of 1 nGs. We conclude that the gravitational wave conversion into photons in the intergalactic magnetic field cannot significantly change the amplitude of the relic gravitational wave and their frequency spectrum.

Keywords

• gravitational waves
• cosmological magnetic field
• expanding universe
• Heisenberg–Euler action
• gravitational wave conversion
• curved space-time