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PreprintarXiv licencearXiv

Gravitational wave propagation through viscous matter

  • Vishnu Kakkat
  • Ulrich K. Beckering Vinckers
  • Nigel T. Bishop
  • Amos S. Kubeka
  • Monos Naidoo
  • Udaykrishna Thattarampilly
  • Petrus J. van der Walt
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Abstract

It has been known that gravitational waves (GWs) transfer energy to viscous matter through which they propagate, but the effect is too weak to be astrophysically significant. Using linearized perturbations about a Minkowski background, we previously showed that the interaction can become important when the distance between matter and source is smaller than the GW wavelength. Here, we review extensions to more realistic backgrounds, namely Schwarzschild spacetime and a static spherically symmetric setting. We find that GW damping and the associated heating of the viscous fluid are enhanced, and can lead to substantial attenuation or even gamma-ray bursts. We investigate astrophysical scenarios where these effects may be relevant, including core-collapse supernovae, binary neutron star mergers, and accretion onto binary black hole mergers.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{kakkat2026gravitational,
  title = {{Gravitational wave propagation through viscous matter}},
  author = {Vishnu Kakkat and Ulrich K. Beckering Vinckers and Nigel T. Bishop and Amos S. Kubeka and Monos Naidoo and Udaykrishna Thattarampilly and Petrus J. van der Walt},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2605.14956},
  eprint = {2605.14956},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14956},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Gravitational wave propagation through viscous matter
AU  - Vishnu Kakkat
AU  - Ulrich K. Beckering Vinckers
AU  - Nigel T. Bishop
AU  - Amos S. Kubeka
AU  - Monos Naidoo
AU  - Udaykrishna Thattarampilly
AU  - Petrus J. van der Walt
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2605.14956
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14956
AB  - It has been known that gravitational waves (GWs) transfer energy to viscous matter through which they propagate, but the effect is too weak to be astrophysically significant. Using linearized perturbations about a Minkowski background, we previously showed that the interaction can become important when the distance between matter and source is smaller than the GW wavelength. Here, we review extensions to more realistic backgrounds, namely Schwarzschild spacetime and a static spherically symmetric setting. We find that GW damping and the associated heating of the viscous fluid are enhanced, and can lead to substantial attenuation or even gamma-ray bursts. We investigate astrophysical scenarios where these effects may be relevant, including core-collapse supernovae, binary neutron star mergers, and accretion onto binary black hole mergers.
ER  -