The aim of this book is to become a major reference text for gravitational-wave physics, covering in detail both the experimental and the theoretical aspects. It is the only existing book on gravitational waves to date, and it will likely remain unique for its broadness and scope. It brings the reader to the forefront of present-day research, both theoretical and experimental, assuming no previous knowledge of gravitational-wave physics.
Part I of this volume is devoted to the theory of gravitational waves.
Part II is devoted to a description of experimental GW physics.
PART I; Gravitational-wave theory; 1. The geometric approach to GWs; 2. The field-theoretical approach to GWs; 3. Generation of GWs in linearized theory; 4. Applications; 5. GW generation by post-Newtonian sources; 6. Experimental observation of GW emission in compact binaries; PART II; Experiments; 7. Data analysis techniques; 8. Resonant-mass detectors; 9. Interferometers
The presentation of the material, including the notation and layout, is very clear. The book is written at a level that will appeal to advanced students and active researchers. [...] The book clearly fills a gap in the literature. It deserves to become a standard textbook in gravitation and to be on the book-shelf of everybody who is seriously interested in gravitational wave astronomy. General Relativity and Gravitation The need for a textbook that treats the production and detection of GWs systematically is clear. Michele Maggiore has succeeded in doing this in a way that is fruitful not only for the young physicist starting to work in the field, but also for the experienced scientist needing a reference book for everyday work. CERN Courier For its comprehensive coverage of the theoretical and experimental aspects of gravitational waves, and for the high quality of its writing, this book is a truly remarkable achievement. I recommend it with great enthusiasm to anyone interested in this exciting topic. Classical and Quantum Gravity Students and experienced researchers will welcome Michele Maggiore's timely and authoritative new text book. Nature ...excellent and useful material...on an important new frontier of astronomy and of fundamental physics. I look forward to Volume 2, and even more so to the dawn of gravitational-wave astronomy. Nature A very good book, and it fills a gap in the literature. [...] It is an ideal textbook for a monographic introductory course on gravitational waves, for graduates or advanced undergraduates, [and] it could also be the basic reference text for researchers, both experimentalists and theoreticians. The Gravitational Voice