Abstract
The detection of an electromagnetic counterpart (GRB 170817A) to the gravitational-wave signal (GW170817) from the merger of two neutron stars opens a completely new arena for testing theories of gravity. We show that this measurement allows us to place stringent constraints on general scalar-tensor and vector-tensor theories, while allowing us to place an independent bound on the graviton mass in bimetric theories of gravity. These constraints severely reduce the viable range of cosmological models that have been proposed as alternatives to general relativistic cosmology.
- Received 16 October 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.251301
© 2017 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Viewpoint
Reining in Alternative Gravity
Published 18 December 2017
Theorists have tightly constrained alternative theories of gravity using the recent joint detection of gravitational waves and light from a neutron star merger.
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