School of Physics CRA Seminar: Prof. Saavik Ford, American Museum of Natural History

I will discuss the growing case for significant absorption of gravitational waves (GW) by stars. Stellar oscillation modes (e.g. the Solar 5 minute oscillation) can be treated as damped harmonic oscillators; when a GW impinges on a star, it provides a driving force for the oscillator. If the frequency of the incoming GW matches the stellar oscillator, resonant absorption will occur, and can become astrophysically significant. Some stellar oscillation modes may produce observable effects either through shadowing of GW sources or via EM re-radiation of energy absorbed from GW. Stars (including the Sun) may periodically eclipse GW sources; stars near GW sources may also serve as ‘in-situ’ detectors of GW emission, notably in quiescent galactic nuclei. I will elaborate the mechanisms for stellar absorption of GW, and discuss prospects for near- and far-future detection of these effects.