Accelerating Airy tensor modes of cosmological gravitational waves

Abstract

From a classical analysis, it is shown that the nondiffractive accelerating gravitational Airy wave packets are solutions of Einstein equations for their linearized tensor modes in a Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker cosmological background filled with a perfect fluid, with equations of state $w=1/3$ and $w=-1/3$. These solutions have finite energy, presenting accelerating behavior due to the structured spatial form of the wavepacket. This is manifested by curved trajectories along the wave path. Also, using spectral functions, it is possible, with these packets, to construct more general, arbitrary wave packets. All these new solutions bring insights on new forms for gravitational wave propagation.