College Physics ›› 2019, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (5): 1-.doi: 10.16854 /j.cnki.1000-0712.180525

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Application of dimensional analysis in gravitational wave physics

HE Xiao-kai1,CAO Zhou-jian2,LIANG Can-bin3   

  1. 1.School of Mathematics and Computational Science,Hunan First Normal University,Changsha,Hunan 410205,China; 2.Department of Astronomy,Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875,China; 3.Department of Physics,Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875,China
  • Received:2018-09-21 Revised:2017-10-09 Online:2019-05-20 Published:2019-06-10

Abstract: Fluid mechanics is a physics problem that most books on dimensional analysis explain most.

However,the dimensional analysis is a powerful and universal analysis method in physics. Taking the application of

dimensional analysis in gravitational wave physics as an example,this paper makes readers deeply understand the

universality of the dimensional analysis method. In particular,the total mass of a binary black hole is regarded as an

uneccential physical parameter in the process of constructing the theoretical template of gravitational wave for the

binayr black holes system. The reason is rarely mentioned in the usual literature. The method of dimensional

analysis is used to show that the above conclusions are valid even for the gravitational theory beyond general

relativity. Therefore,this paper not only clearly expounds the reasons why the above conclusion holds in the

framework of general relativity,but also provides some guidelines for the establishment of the theoretical template of

gravitational wave based on the gaviational theory beyond general relativity.

Key words: dimensional analysis, gravitational waves, gravitational wave template, binary black holes, numerical relativity