On the detection of gravitational radiation by the Doppler tracking of spacecraft.
Abstract
A general method is provided for the calculation of the residual Doppler shift due to the presence of the incident gravitational wave. In particular, it is shown that the lowest-order contribution of the gravitational wave to the Doppler shift consists of two terms. One term is due to the propagation of the electromagnetic waves through the gravitational radiation field. The other term is related to the influence of the gravitational wave on the relative motion of the earth and its satellite. The Doppler shift is calculated and the lowest-order residual shift due to the external wave is given. An investigation is conducted of the orbital perturbation caused by the external wave. It is shown that as a result of the exchange of energy and angular momentum with the gravitational wave, the binary system makes a transition from one Keplerian orbit to another after the wave has passed through the system.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1086/156810
- Bibcode:
- 1979ApJ...227.1019M
- Keywords:
-
- Doppler Effect;
- Doppler Navigation;
- Gravitational Waves;
- Orbit Perturbation;
- Wave Propagation;
- Angular Momentum;
- Satellite Orbits;
- Astrophysics;
- Gravitational Radiation