Extreme gravity tests with gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences: (I) inspiral–merger

• DOI: 10.1007/s10714-018-2362-8
• Publication Date: 2018-04-03T08:35:49Z
• Authors: Emanuele Berti; Kent Yagi; Nicolás Yunes
• Keywords: High Energy Physics - Theory; High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE); High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th); 0103 physical sciences; FOS: Physical sciences; General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; 01 natural sciences; General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

46 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. Review paper to appear in the General Relativity and Gravitation (GRG) Topical Collection "Testing the Kerr spacetime with gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations" (Guest Editor: Emanuele Berti). Added two figures and some references. Matches version published in GRG and selected as "Editor's Choice"<br/>The observation of the inspiral and merger of compact binaries by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration ushered in a new era in the study of strong-field gravity. We review current and future tests of strong gravity and of the Kerr paradigm with gravitational-wave interferometers, both within a theory-agnostic framework (the parametrized post-Einsteinian formalism) and in the context of specific modified theories of gravity (scalar-tensor, Einstein-dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet, dynamical Chern-Simons, Lorentz-violating, and extra dimensional theories). In this contribution we focus on (i) the information carried by the inspiral radiation, and (ii) recent progress in numerical simulations of compact binary mergers in modified gravity.<br/>