Abstract. We show that Renormalization Group extensions of the Einstein-Hilbert action for large scale physics are not, in general, a particular case of standard Scalar-Tensor (ST) gravity. We present a new class of ST actions, in which the potential is not necessarily fixed at the action level, and show that this extended ST theory formally contains the Renormalization Group case. We also propose here a Renormalization Group scale setting identification that is explicitly covariant and valid for arbitrary relativistic fluids.

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In a recent paper (Minazzoli and Chauvineau 2009 Phys. Rev. D 79 084027), motivated by forthcoming space experiments involving propagation of light in the solar system, we have proposed an extension of the IAU metric equations at the c−4 level in general relativity. However, scalar–tensor theories may induce corrections numerically comparable to the c−4 general relativistic terms. Accordingly, one first proposes in this paper an extension of Minazzoli and Chauvineau (2009) to the scalar–tensor case. The case of a hierarchized system (such as the solar system) is emphasized. In this case, the relevant metric solution is proposed. Then, the corresponding isotropic geodesic solution relevant for distance measurements and time transfers in the inner solar system is given in explicit form.

The joint ESA/NASA LISA mission consists in three spacecraft on heliocentric orbits, flying in a triangular formation of 5 Mkm each side, linked by infrared optical beams. The aim of the mission is to detect gravitational waves in a low frequency band. For properly processing the science data, the propagation delays between spacecraft must be accurately known. We thus analyse the propagation of light between spacecraft in order to systematically derive the relativistic effects due to the static curvature of the Schwarzschild spacetime in which the spacecraft are orbiting with time-varying light-distances. In particular, our analysis allows to evaluate rigorously the Sagnac effect, and the gravitational (Einstein) redshift.Comment: 6 figures; accepted for publication in PR

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We present Monte Carlo simulations of the extra galactic population of inspiralling double neutron stars, and estimate its contribution to the astrophysical gravitational wave background, in the frequency range of ground based interferometers, corresponding to the last thousand seconds before the last stable orbit when more than 96 percent of the signal is released. We show that sources at redshift z > 0.5 contribute to a truly continuous background which may be detected by correlating third generation interferometers.

We discuss the problem of the limit of the Brans–Dicke theory (BDT) in the limit ω ⟶ ∞, when the trace of the stress tensor is not zero. It is shown that a BDT solution, with T ≠ 0, known in the framework of anisotropic cosmology, fails to converge to the general relativity theory (GRT) corresponding solution. Considering the spherically symmetric field problem, it is shown that the argument leading to the convergence in the static case is lost when the non-static case is considered. These remarks suggest that the non-convergence of BDT to GRT could be the general behaviour, even if T ≠ 0, except for some (most?) of the highly symmetric solutions, including most of the known ones. The impact on gravitational radiation detection is emphasized.

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