Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: We show that gravitational waves cause freely falling gyroscopes to precess relative to fixed distant stars, extending the stationary Lense-Thirring effect. The precession rate decays as the square of the inverse distance to the source and is proportional to a suitable Noether current for dual asymptotic symmetries at null infinity. Integrating the rate over time yields a net rotation-a "gyroscopic memory"-whose angle reproduces the known spin memory effect but also contains an extra contribution due to the generator of gravitational electric-magnetic duality. The angle's order of magnitude for the first Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory signal is estimated to be Φ∼10^{-35} arc sec near Earth, but the effect may be substantially larger for supermassive black hole mergers.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Authors: Ali Seraj, Blagoje Oblak
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Topological phases of matter : beyond two dimensions, Individual Fellowships at the Université libre de Bruxelles, G434337789, Individual Fellowships at the Université libre de Bruxelles, G6803667113, Asymptotic Symmetries: from Concepts to Observations, Asymptotic Symmetries: from Concepts to Observations
OpenAlex ID: W4226053017