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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Advanced LIGO: Gravitational Wave Detectors Upgraded
NASA ^ | February 07, 2016 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 02/07/2016 10:18:53 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Accelerate a charge and you'll get electromagnetic radiation: light. But accelerate any mass and you'll get gravitational radiation. Light is seen all the time, but, so far, a confirmed direct detection of gravitational radiation has been elusive. When absorbed, gravitational waves create a tiny symmetric jiggle similar to squashing a rubber ball and letting go quickly. Separated detectors can be used to discern gravitational waves from everyday bumps. Powerful astronomical sources of gravitational radiation would coincidentally jiggle even detectors on opposite ends of the Earth. Pictured here are the four-kilometer-long arms of one such detector: the LIGO Hanford Observatory in Washington state, USA. Together with its sister interferometer in Louisiana, these gravitational wave detectors continue to be upgraded and are now more sensitive than ever.

February 07, 2016

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; ligo; science
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[Credit and Copyright: LIGO, Caltech, MIT, NSF]

1 posted on 02/07/2016 10:18:53 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; disndat; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

2 posted on 02/07/2016 10:19:37 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv

But they have yet to detect any gravitons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-FSFtoeagc


3 posted on 02/07/2016 10:22:07 AM PST by Cruising Speed
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To: SunkenCiv

I really envy/admire you guys that can follow all this stuff.

not envy in a “i want his house and car!” kind of way lol.

just of the knowledge you’ve acquired.


4 posted on 02/07/2016 10:22:27 AM PST by dp0622
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To: SunkenCiv

Looks like a giant Flux Capacitor.


5 posted on 02/07/2016 10:23:17 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Why do we give our hearts to the past? And why must we grow up so fast?)
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To: SunkenCiv

LIGO my GEO.


6 posted on 02/07/2016 10:27:22 AM PST by Redcitizen
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To: Cruising Speed

The most complete theory of everything I know of says that gravitational waves propagate at 4/3 the speed of light. I wonder if they are set up to detect such a phenomenon.


7 posted on 02/07/2016 10:35:00 AM PST by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: SunkenCiv

On Google Earth or Google Maps you can find the LIGO at:

46.455332, -119.407042 or 46°27’19.2”N, 119°24’25.4”W


8 posted on 02/07/2016 10:35:51 AM PST by r_barton (We the People of the United States...)
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To: SunkenCiv

Re: “Accelerate a charge and you’ll get electromagnetic radiation: light. But accelerate any mass and you’ll get gravitational radiation.”

I don’t understand the basic concept here.

Since “charge” is present in all protons and electrons, and since protons and electrons have “mass,” it seems like “acceleration” in some types of “mass” is exactly the same thing as “acceleration” in “charge.”


9 posted on 02/07/2016 10:47:41 AM PST by zeestephen
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To: Cruising Speed

You will be hearing an announcement soon from Hanford LIGO that will set your gravitons a-twitter.


10 posted on 02/07/2016 10:49:18 AM PST by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc OMorgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: SubMareener

Correlating effects with subsequent causes is... problematic.


11 posted on 02/07/2016 10:55:36 AM PST by ctdonath2 (History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the week or the timid. - Ike)
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To: SunkenCiv

I can detect a gravitational wave every morning on my bathroom scale.


12 posted on 02/07/2016 11:06:01 AM PST by tbpiper
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To: SunkenCiv

“Together with its sister interferometer in Louisiana, these gravitational wave detectors continue to be upgraded and are now more sensitive than ever.”

As sensitive as Ben Carson? I think not.


13 posted on 02/07/2016 11:15:29 AM PST by DaxtonBrown (ANOTHER)
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To: ctdonath2; SubMareener
If the General Theory of Relativity is correct over large distances [and there is no experimental evidence to believe it isn't] the speed of gravitons cannot exceed c. There are a lot of references in the literature. Among many, here is one accessible to laymen: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/GR/grav_speed.html
14 posted on 02/07/2016 11:22:30 AM PST by FredZarguna (You did not see what I did there.)
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To: ctdonath2

It will cause your beber to be stuned nearly every time.


15 posted on 02/07/2016 11:28:02 AM PST by Tucker39 (Welcome to America! Now speak English; and keep to the right....In driving, in Faith, and politics.)
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To: FredZarguna

Right. So if they are detected going faster than C then General Relativity would only be an approximation at solar system scales.


16 posted on 02/07/2016 11:29:03 AM PST by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: steve86

I believe a statement is due this coming Thursday heralding the detection of gravity waves.


17 posted on 02/07/2016 11:30:17 AM PST by sparklite2 ( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
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To: SunkenCiv

Do they even know IF gravity comes in waves?

We are still befuddled over the wave/particle aspect of what we call light.

Yes! We is smart!


18 posted on 02/07/2016 11:31:44 AM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: zeestephen
Gravity is just a "charge" to physicists. So is "color" in quarks. They are "charges" in the terminology as much as the electromagnetic charge is a "charge."

The confusion arises because we observed the electromagnetic charge first, and when most people hear the word "charge" they think of electric charge, which is only positive or negative. The color charge of the strong nuclear force actually corresponds to three distinct charges, which in some combinations are attractive, in others, repulsive.

Any accelerating charge produces radiation corresponding to the charge. In the case that you're talking about, an accelerating electron will produce both electromagnetic radiation [from its accelerating electromagnetic charge] and gravitational radiation [from its accelerating mass.]

There is another symmetry: in every Lorentz frame [frame of reference in uniform motion -- not accelerating -- with respect to another Lorentz frame] there should also be an analogue of the magnetic component of the electromagnetic field. Consequently, there is also a "gravitational magnetic field." It is extremely weak. Too weak to measure.

19 posted on 02/07/2016 11:36:56 AM PST by FredZarguna (You did not see what I did there.)
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To: SubMareener
It's not an approximation. The experimental evidence is that it is within 1% of the speed of light or less?
20 posted on 02/07/2016 11:38:07 AM PST by FredZarguna (You did not see what I did there.)
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