Monopole gravitational waves from relativistic fireballs driving gamma-ray bursts

Abstract

Einstein's general relativity predicts that pressure, in general stresses, plays a similar role to energy density, ε = ρc2 (with ρ being the corresponding mass density), in generating gravity. The source of gravitational field, the active gravitational mass density, sometimes referred to as Whittaker's mass density, is ρgrav = ρ + 3p/c 2, where p is pressure in the case of an ideal fluid. Whittaker's mass is not conserved, hence its changes can propagate as monopole gravitational waves. Such waves can be generated only by astrophysical sources with varying gravitational mass. Here we show that relativistic fireballs, considered in modelling gamma-ray burst phenomena, are likely to radiate monopole gravitational waves from high-pressure plasma with varying Whittaker's mass. Also, ejection of a significant amount of initial mass-energy of the progenitor contributes to the monopole gravitational radiation. We identify monopole waves with h11 + h22 waves of Eddington's classification which propagate (in the z-direction) together with the energy carried by massless fields. We show that the monopole waves satisfy Einstein's equations, with a common stress-energy tensor for massless fields. The polarization mode of monopole waves is Φ22, i.e. these are perpendicular waves which induce changes of the radius of a circle of test particles only (breathing mode). The astrophysical importance of monopole gravitational waves is discussed.