Figure 3

Figure 3: Action of the GW on a Michelson interferometer: (a) h+-polarized GW periodically stretch and squeeze the interferometer arms in the x- and y-directions, (b) h ×-polarized GW though have no impact on the interferometer, yet produce stretching and squeezing of the imaginary test particle ring, but along the directions, rotated by ∘ 45 with respect to the x and y directions of the frame. The lower pictures feature field lines of the corresponding tidal acceleration fields ∝ ¨h+,×.