Observing Einstein's gravitational waves

European Space Agency ^ | 08 April 2005 | Staff

[PatrickHenry]

Bold and underlining added by me.

[PatrickHenry]

Science Ping!

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[keithtoo]

Detecting gravitational waves would be nice. It would be a way to confirm the speed with which gravity propogates, which is still an open question.

[Redcloak]

Those interested in gravity waves, especially those not tracable to Michael Moore, should check out the LIGO project.

[VadeRetro]

I can't imagine being able to do a measurement that sensitive at those distances. I hope it works, but the mind boggles.

[SpaceBar]

They will have to know where Michael Moore is at all times and subtract this contribution to the disturbance.

[PatrickHenry]

I hope it works, but the mind boggles.

This is nothing, compared to the wonders of creation science.

[RightWingNilla]

This is nothing, compared to the wonders of creation science.

Theyre still trying to figure out this crazy radioisotope dating stuff.

[PatrickHenry]

Theyre still trying to figure out this crazy radioisotope dating stuff.

Can't blame them. Radiometric dating lost all credibility when it failed to validate the Shroud of Turin.

[BenLurkin]

"When very massive bodies are disturbed, they radiate waves or ripples that travel through space."

Kinda like when TedK does a cannonball.

[bobdsmith]

The problem michael moore presents to modern science is a subset of the uncertaintly principle. The more precisely we know his position, the less precisely we know his honesty.

[solitas]

Three craft - I guess they must plan on flying it co-planar with the bulk of the galaxy for best sensitivity.

[PatrickHenry]

Three craft - I guess they must plan on flying it co-planar with the bulk of the galaxy for best sensitivity.

Now that you mention it, I'd fly them in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy. That way, the arrival of a wave would be detected at slightly different times by the masses. I suppose the rig is sensitive enough to detect the minute delay in a wave's arrival time at the most distant of the three.

[LiteKeeper]

YEC INTREP

[solitas]

No - if you fly it perpendicular (face on to the source) they'd all register it at the same time (being all at the same distance they'd all move simultaneously). If something approaches edge-on, THEN you have the best chance of detecting it because one is closest, one is farthest, and one is proportionally-spaced in-between..

[PatrickHenry]

We agree. I had intended to say edge-on when I said perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy. I had in mind two planes, perpendicular to each other, rather than parallel. I guess I didn't get my meaning across.

[doc30]

It depends. Are gravity waves longitudinal or transversal? In other words, are they like sound waves where the oscillation parallels the direction of propagation, or are they like light waves where the electric field oscillates perpendicular to the direction of propagation?

[solitas]

yeah, okay - I should have thought of that too - if the source is along the X axis then you'd want to be aligned either X-Y or X-Z. Y-Z would put them all at the same distance.

[PatrickHenry]

It depends. Are gravity waves longitudinal or transversal?

I haven't a clue. But either way, the waves have to arrive at the masses from their source, so the masses should be spaced so there's an interval from the time the waves hit the first mass and the time they hit the last. Assuming the apparatus can sense this.

[Fitzcarraldo]

I wonder if the new theories of gravity developed from string theory (compactification and 10-dimensions) produces far lower gravity wave energies than anticipated?