Gravity waves detected
Scientists say discovery one of the biggest
A century after Albert Einstein first suggested the existence of gravitational waves, the world of physics and astronomy was rocked Thursday when scientists announced they finally detected gravitational waves.
Last September, an international team of astrophysicists used an exquisitely sensitive, $1.1 billion set of twin instruments known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, to detect a gravitational wave generated by the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion lightyears from Earth.
In 1916, Albert Einstein first suggested the existence of Gravitational Waves as part of his General Theory of Relativity. Now scientists have direct proof of his theory.
What are so-called gravitational waves?
Gravitational waves are a compression and stretching of space-time, like a balloon being squeezed by two hands, where the movement of the air pushes
and stretches the balloon. The waves are created when you have massive objects, in this case two black holes, swirling around each other, explained Daniel Batcheldor, head of the Physics and Space Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology.
These massive objects are changing and shaping the universe, and they happen more than just this detection by LIGO, said Batcheldor.
“The (LIGO) instrument looks at the whole universe,” explained Batcheldor. “We won’t see them happen in our own galaxy the Milk Way, but the farther we look, it happens all the time.”
The signal detected by LIGO is from the two black holes orbiting each other and actually colliding, as they move faster and faster.
Why should you care about this discovery?
“Gravitational waves provide a completely new way of looking at the universe,” physicist Stephen Hawking told the BBC, congratulating the LIGO team. “The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionize astronomy.”
Up until now, 99 percent of astronomy has been done by studying light and photons, explained Batcheldor. LIGO presents a new way to study the universe, allowing scientists to study extreme systems, such as the merging black holes that created the confirmed gravitational waves.
For the science community, it’s a huge moment, because the test by LIGO further confirms Einstein’s genius 100 years later, said Batcheldor.
This test preciously matched Einstein’s original calculations for general relativity. “We’ve discovered a lot in the last 20 years,” said Batcheldor. “There’s nothing to compare this time in our life to.”
This discovery should mean something for the general public, because its a validation that science does work in a time when some people don’t have as much faith in its importance to our world, said Michael McConville, coordinator at the Buehler Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida.
“It’s a testament to being able to detect the tiniest signal,” said McConville. “(LIGO) sensed the Earth jiggling a bit by these waves that started over a billion years ago.”
General relativity is in use every day without people realizing it, said Batcheldor.
“GPS systems would not work without it (general relativity), and it’s used to adjust satellites all the time,” said Batcheldor.
What does this mean for space exploration?
The discoveries made by LIGO’s team will help drive space vehicle developments, said Batcheldor.
A space-based gravitational wave detector, LISA is already in space on a mission operated by the European Space Agency.
“With LISA Pathfinder, we will be testing the underlying technology to observe gravitational waves from space, and it is even more encouraging to know that these long-mysterious fluctuations have now been directly detected,” said Paul McNamara, LISA Pathfinder project scientist at ESA.
What’s next for LIGO?
Simply put, scientists must reconfirm the wave signals again and again, but rumors are already buzzing LIGO may have made another detection.
“I think they’ve got something else up their sleeve,” said Batcheldor.