A Geometric Method for Location of Gravitational Wave Sources

We show that the interaction of a gravitational wave with a spherical resonant-mass antenna changes the antenna's shape to that of an ellipsoid. These changes in shape always determine the direction of the incoming wave and may provide information on the wave's polarization. We present a new approach for determining the position of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves which involves fewer calculations than in earlier methods. We also show how the measured quantities relate to the energy density of the wave. © 1997. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.