As you’ve probably heard by now, gravitational waves have been detected for the first time by
As you’ve probably heard by now, gravitational waves have been detected for the first time by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). This is a momentous occasion for physics, as it experimentally confirms a result of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity that was considered almost impossible to verify. And while gravitational waves may not be sound, there’s still a strong connection to acoustics. LIGO itself has been described as a “Gravity Microphone” measuring the motion of spacetime, and the way the observatory works is not too far off from a Laser Doppler Vibrometer, using the change in travel time of a laser to measure passing waves. And LIGO’s executive director, David Reitze, said at a press conference for this announcement that “…Up until now we’ve been deaf to gravitational waves, but today we’re able to hear them.” What’s more, you can even hear an auralization of the measurement, shifted away from it’s original frequency range of 35 to 250 Hz. After listening to that recording I would say that our first measurement of gravitational waves sounds like a drop falling into a pond, appropriate for something sending ripples through science! (Image credit National Science Foundation Article. Article credit LIGO) -- source link
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