Physical Review Letters 2017-07-18

Constraining Relativistic Generalizations of Modified Newtonian Dynamics with Gravitational Waves

Paul M. Chesler and Abraham Loeb

Index: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.031102

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Abstract

In the weak-field limit of general relativity, gravitational waves obey linear equations and propagate at the speed of light. These properties of general relativity are supported by the observation of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays as well as by LIGO’s recent detection of gravitation waves. We argue that two existing relativistic generalizations of modified Newtonian dynamics, namely, the generalized Einstein-aether theory and bimetric modified Newtonian dynamics, display fatal inconsistencies with these observations.