For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves. On Feb. 11, a team of scientists announced that gravitational waves had been detected in two different locations using the same technology. This discovery supports Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Two black holes spiraled into one other 1.3 billion light years away. During that process, ripples in spacetime were created sending gravitational waves out into the universe. Those waves were then detected on Sept. 14, 2015, in two Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories (LIGO) located at Washington State University and Louisiana State University.
“Here we have two separate detectors that measured the same thing,” physics professor Timothy Heumier, Ph.D., said. “They were distances away, so they independently measured the same thing, giving us considerable confidence that it actually happened.”
The first notion of gravitational waves came from Albert Einstein in his 1916 paper on general relativity. Since then, many attempts have been made to probe and test Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Heumier said that asking the question about how Einstein was able to make such accurate predictions at such a technologically underdeveloped time is essentially like asking how genius’ minds operate.
“In addition to confirming a major prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, this event is a fantastic technological achievement,” said physics professor Bradley McCoy, Ph.D. “The research collaborations had to invent equipment to measure tiny changes in distance, less than the size of an atom.”
To specifically test this theory, LIGO used a laser 2.5 miles long to detect a brief distortion in space-time, which lasted 20 thousandths of a second.
As Einstein predicted, these waves were triggered by a large movement of mass through space.
This event marks a large triumph for many, as many physicists have contributed in some way to the process of detection through LIGO. Last week, a paper was published in the Physical Review Letters regarding LIGO, which had more than 1,000 authors attached to the document.
According to that report, “In 2015, the Advanced LIGO became the first of a significantly more sensitive network of advanced detectors to begin observations.”
Regardless of the breakthrough this event presents, LIGO is the only instrument sensitive enough to measure the types of waves that were detected, and the findings may face scrutiny from the scientific community.
This discovery is seen as a great success for those in the world of physics and astronomy not only because it has proved another facet of Einstein’s theory, but because it allows room for further discovery.
McCoy said this may open new doors for astronomers who were formerly limited to traditional methods such as using light to study stars and galaxies. Now, astronomers can experiment with different technology, such as measuring the vibrations of stars, leaving room for new discoveries to be made in a different, and maybe even more efficient, manner.