Hatrack River Forum: Gravity waves... Wow!

This is topic Gravity waves... Wow! in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on November 10, 2005 04:49 AM:

This is astounding!

Posted by enochville (Member # 8815) on November 10, 2005 07:48 AM:

Thanks for sharing! I studied physics in college for a while before I switched my major, so I am fascinated by the prospect of this gravity telescope.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on November 10, 2005 08:45 AM:

wicked cool... giant Michelson-Morley experiments!

I wonder how they are managing to damp out things like vibration from passing trucks and stuff?

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on November 10, 2005 09:42 AM:

Very cool stuff--breath taking, even. Hope they're successful.

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on November 10, 2005 11:29 AM:

I read about this yesterday and considered posting it but I figured someone else would come up with it sooner or later [Wink]

. It is very incredible- or will be, when they succeed.

Posted by Oliver Dale (Member # 8398) on November 10, 2005 12:14 PM:

J-M,

Don't have to worry about passing trucks or even passing mountains. Gravitational waves are so weak (especially when compared to EM waves) that it takes something truly cosmological in order to blip their 'radar.' If you're talking about the physical shaking of the tubes, then I'm fairly sure it isn't a problem just due to the size of the thing. The laser has some wobble room without making contact with the shielding.

Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on November 10, 2005 10:44 PM:

Yeah, but shaking the mirrors would change the effective length of the light path.