Nonlinear Gravitational Waves: Their Form and Effects

Understand

A gravitational wave must be nonlinear to be able to transport its own source, that is, energy and momentum.

• A physical gravitational wave, therefore, cannot be represented by a solution to a linear wave equation.
• Relying on this property, the second-order solution describing such physical waves is obtained.
• The effects they produce on free particles are found to consist of nonlinear oscillations along the direction of propagation.