On the Dielectric Effect for Gravitational Waves

We argue that the dielectric effect, mostly studied for systems of coincident D-branes, is also extendible to configurations of multiple gravitational waves. We provide some evidence that Matrix string theory has an alternative interpretation as describing also, in the static gauge, multiple Type IIA gravitational waves. Starting with the linearised action of Matrix string theory in a weakly curved background, we identify the non-Abelian couplings of multiple coinciding gravitons to weak background fields, both in Type IIA and in Type IIB, and we use them to study various dielectric configurations from the point of view of the expanding gravitons. We also identify, in the Abelian limit, some non-perturbative correction terms to the Abelian gravitational wave action.