"We have detected gravitational waves. We did it."

[essentialsaltes]

Interesting. The thing is there are no antennas in deep space.

But there are sources of radio waves in deep space. And antennas on earth. We could use them to locate the sources.

There are sources of light in deep space. And telescopes on earth. We could use them to locate the sources of light.

There are sources of gravitation waves in deep space. And two LIGO detectors on earth. We could use them to locate the sources of the gravitational waves.

 

[Michael]

Interesting. The thing is there are no antennas in deep space.

There are however two receivers here on Earth that are capable of picking up this type of signal from deep space. Why would you need antennas in space?

 

[Larniavc]

Cute. So that ping in the pipes on earth represents something in the universe. Let's see if anyone knows the connection here.

Why are you asking people on this forum? Why don't you email the researchers? It's their job to know more about it than randoms on the Inter Nets.

It's almost as if you are suggesting that if people on this forum can't explain in detail how the detector works that is doesn't work.

I can't imagine that is what you are saying.

 

[Willis Gravning]

That makes sense. If the wave were aligned with just one of the limbs in the interferometer then all of the length changes would be detected in that direction. If the event were perfectly in between the limbs, then you would see equal changes in both limbs.

Great illustration. I need to read more about this. I'm still not certain how they determined the distance and size of the black hole collision.

 

[Justatruthseeker]

Assuming this study is confirmed, congrats to the LIGO team. Nice.

I do have a couple of comments on the article itself:



All this technically confirms is one aspect of GR theory itself. It's not a confirmation of "dark energy", or "dark matter", or "inflation", or anything else related to a full "cosmology theory". About the only thing it does confirm is the value of GR theory (again).



GR theory doesn't "predict" that everything came from a single event. Only Lambda-CDM predicts such a thing. Einstein even embraced and discussed and entertained a static universe theory using GR, so this statement is simply false and misleading, just like so many other statements that are made by the mainstream.

Lambda-CDM proponents are constantly misleading the public with respect to the difference between GR theory and Lambda-CDM. GR theory doesn't require Lambda-CDM to be correct for it's scientific legitimacy. The reverse is not true.

And the kicker is they wanted to do away with the cosmological constant so E's theory could predict expansion - and now want to re-add it so E's theory can predict expansion. lol.

 

[Justatruthseeker]

The claimed accuracy of the detectors is in question.

From the LIGO facts page:

"Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time. When they pass through LIGO's L-shaped detector they will decrease the distance between the test masses in one arm of the L, while increasing it in the other. These changes are minute: just 10-16 centimeters, or one-hundred-millionth the diameter of a hydrogen atom over the 4 kilometer length of the arm. ... " [bold emphasis mine]

Ok, take the diameter of one hydrogen atom, (already a really really small thing) divide it into one hundred million really really little bits, and one of these bits is the change in length over a 4000m distance that a gravity wave will cause.

Since we can barely even image a hydrogen atom, I seriously doubt the claimed accuracy to detect a movement one-hundreth millionth the diameter of one.

Now divide that into one-hundreth millionth smaller parts.

I will await further confirmation, The last claim of detection turned out to be dust on further examination. People tend to want to jump to conclusions to confirm their beliefs. The thing about laboratory experiments is that they must be repeatable. If they can not be repeated, they are in the end not considered valid.

 

[dad]

They already gave the connection. It was the merger of two black holes.

Did we know about these holes before the experiment? Cite source if so thanks. Just checking their work.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Did we know about these holes before the experiment? Cite source if so thanks. Just checking their work.

Pretty sure we did not know about these black holes beforehand.

 

[Michael]

Pretty sure we did not know about these black holes beforehand.

I have a couple of conceptual questions I'd like some help with if you would be so kind. I'm visualizing these waves as a type of "geometric wave" where the curvature of spacetime is rippling as a result of the merger of these two bodies. Is that a reasonable way to conceptualize the process?

I'm confused as to why the duration of the "signal" would be so short. Why would the signal be less than a second?

 

[Loudmouth]

In their theory, yes. We know that how? Beware of circular reasoning here.

Prove it is circular reasoning.

 

[Loudmouth]

Interesting. The thing is there are no antennas in deep space.

Interesting, you don't understand how it works.

 

[Loudmouth]

And the kicker is they wanted to do away with the cosmological constant so E's theory could predict expansion - and now want to re-add it so E's theory can predict expansion. lol.

You have the cart before the horse. Whether a universe is expanding or contracting is a matter of observation. It has nothing to do with the theory of relativity.

 

[Michael]

You have the cart before the horse. Whether a universe is expanding or contracting is a matter of observation. It has nothing to do with the theory of relativity.

You're right that GR is flexible, but it's more like it's a matter of "interpretation" rather than just a simple observation. We don't observe expansion or contraction, just photons. We then "interpret".

 

[dad]

Pretty sure we did not know about these black holes beforehand.

Wow...just wow!

 

[dad]

Interesting, you don't understand how it works.

Your pic with antennas, you should explain how you think that correlates with deepest space. Otherwise don't bring stuff up if you have no idea what it means

 

[essentialsaltes]

Your pic with antennas, you should explain how you think that correlates with deepest space. Otherwise don't bring stuff up if you have no idea what it means

There are radio sources in deepest space. We can locate them with antennas. It's not that complicated.

 

[morse86]

What a garbage article.....that is not science.

The scientists detected their cataclysmic event using an instrument so sensitive it could detect a change in the distance between the solar system and the nearest star four light years away to the thickness of a human hair.

What is the device? How did they isolate the noise?

Incredible....this garbage is being passed as "science" and "science news".

 

[topcare]

Scientists announce discovery of clear gravitational wave signal, ripples in spacetime first predicted by Albert Einstein

One step closer to the Federation

 

[SkyWriting]

This result has already been challenged by experts.

Almost as quickly as I did.

 

[essentialsaltes]

What a garbage article.....that is not science.

Then I refer you to the paper in Phys Rev Letters.