Science to ride gravitational waves

BBC News on line ^ | November 8, 2006 | By Jonathan Amos, BBC News science reporter, Hanover

[aculeus]

Two super-dense neutron stars circling each other [1] are expected to emit gravitational waves that move out at the speed of light At GEO 600, a high-powered laser [2] is fired at a 'beam splitter' - a semi-transparent mirror - which divides the beam down two vacuumed tunnels Mirrors [a+b] at the far ends bounce the light back; more mirrors [c+d] extend the measuring distance, and still more [e+f] are used to recycle the power and enhance the signal The light paths from the separate arms are recombined and sent to a photodetector. If a gravitational wave has passed though the observatory, it will have changed the length of the arms and the signal should be evident when analysed by computer

[AntiGuv]

graviton ping!

[aculeus]

Corrected caption in reply #1 follows ...


HOW A LASER INTERFEROMETER CAN CATCH THE ELUSIVE WAVES


Two super-dense neutron stars circling each other [1] are expected to emit gravitational waves that move out at the speed of light At GEO 600, a high-powered laser [2] is fired at a 'beam splitter' - a semi-transparent mirror - which divides the beam down two vacuumed tunnels Mirrors [a+b] at the far ends bounce the light back; more mirrors [c+d] extend the measuring distance, and still more [e+f] are used to recycle the power and enhance the signal The light paths from the separate arms are recombined and sent to a photodetector. If a gravitational wave has passed though the observatory, it will have changed the length of the arms and the signal should be evident when analysed by computer

[keithtoo]

It will be interesting to see just how fast these waves propogate. It may be faster than the speed of light.

[Blood of Tyrants]

This won't tear a hole in the space-time continuium and end all life as we know it, will it?

[Coyoteman]

FYI ===> Placemarker <===

[Southack]

If you want to investigate Gravity waves, start with the tides of our oceans.

Carefully note the precise lag between the tide rising compared to the overhead orbital position of our Moon. That lag helps indicate the propagation speed of Gravity.

[Southack]

"If a gravitational wave has passed though the observatory, it will have changed the length of the arms and the signal should be evident when analysed by computer"

There is no "if." We already know that Gravity waves pass through your observatory, otherwise centrifugal force of the Earth's rotation would throw said observatory away from this planet.

[Southack]

"It will be interesting to see just how fast these waves propogate. It may be faster than the speed of light."

The above experiment does not appear to be set up to record such a measurement, correct or not.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks. Gives me a chance to crank up the cosmology ping machine ...

[Iris7]

Looks like Michelson - Morley without the mercury bearing.

Looks like it would pick up any ground born vibration down to a fly landing or a gust of wind to small to feel. A fantastically noisy signal.

[thoughtomator]

Cheap shot incoming....

Any moving mass will send gravitational waves radiating outwards at the speed of light; but only truly massive bodies, such as exploding stars and coalescing neutron stars, can disturb space-time sufficiently for our technology to pick up the signal.

Alternate test subjects:

[PatrickHenry]

SciencePing

An elite subset of the Evolution list. See the list's explanation at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped.

[theDentist]

Bump to read again when I have more time to follow/understand the physics behind it.

[R. Scott]

Something else to keep up on. Thanks.

[Right Wing Professor]

Carefully note the precise lag between the tide rising compared to the overhead orbital position of our Moon. That lag helps indicate the propagation speed of Gravity.

So you think that two points with the same longitude always have high tide at the same time?

[Sam Cree]

*

[Southack]

"So you think that two points with the same longitude always have high tide at the same time?"

Absolutely not.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Reminiscent of the Michelson Interferometer.

[thulldud]

It has more to do with the propagation speed of water waves than it does gravity. Also, you got to take into account local geography and especially resonant cavities (Bay of Fundy, anyone?).