Quadrupole test particle as a detector of gravitational waves

In this paper it is shown that in general relativity the theory of motion of quadrupole test particles (QTPs) can be used to describe the energy and angular momentum absorption by detectors of gravitational waves. By specifying the form of the quadrupole moment tensor Taub's equations of motion of QTPs are simplified. In these equations the terms describing the change of the mass and of the angular momentum of a QTP due to external gravitational waves are found to occur. The limiting case of the flat space-time is also briefly discussed. (author)