Parameterized and Consistency Tests of Gravity with Gravitational Waves: Current and Future

Understand

Gravitational wave observations offer unique opportunities to probe gravity in the strong and dynamical regime, which was difficult to access previously.

• We here review two theory-agnostic ways to carry out tests of general relativity with gravitational waves, namely (i) parameterized waveform tests and (ii) consistency tests between the inspiral and merger-ringdown portions.
• For each method, we explain the formalism, followed by results from existing events, and finally we discuss future prospects with upgraded detectors, including the possibility of using multi-band gravitational-wave observations with ground-based and space-borne interferometers.
• We show that such future observations have the potential to improve upon current bounds on theories beyond general relativity by many orders of magnitude.