Can heavy objects be used to modulate light waves with small amplitude?

In summary, the diagram does not accurately depict the real world in which gravitational waves are emitted.
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r731
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Question: Can heavy objects be used to operate light waves with smaller amplitude, or waves with high amplitude be used to operate objects with small mass?

This is a diagram I drew that illustrates my point. Heavy objects are meant to be celestial bodies, and the light source generates a beam of light between the heavy pairs, as shown in the image. Given the objects are heavy and the lightwaves have low amplitude, the decrease in amplitude of the lightwaves must be significant.

Is this true?

Is the converse true as well, as put forth in the question?
 

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  • #2
r731 said:
Is this true?

I'm afraid not. You picture doesn't accurately describe the real world in any way.
 
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  • #3
When massive celestial objects bend light, they form something known as a gravitational lens. What makes you think that the amplitude would be affected in such a situation and why does it have to be low anyway?
 
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I think your intuition led you to think that a light wave is "compressed" or perhaps modulated by two adjacent gravitational waves but I just don't think that's the way things works in the universe.
 
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r731 said:
Question: Can heavy objects be used to operate light waves with smaller amplitude, or waves with high amplitude be used to operate objects with small mass?

This is a diagram I drew that illustrates my point. Heavy objects are meant to be celestial bodies, and the light source generates a beam of light between the heavy pairs, as shown in the image. Given the objects are heavy and the lightwaves have low amplitude, the decrease in amplitude of the lightwaves must be significant.

Is this true?

Is the converse true as well, as put forth in the question?
Well, for one thing, static masses do not emit gravitational waves. You need something like masses orbiting each other to produce them. Gravitational waves are a secondary effect of gravity, in that you need gravity to have gravitational waves, but you don't need gravitational waves to have gravity.
 
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1. Can heavy objects be used to modulate light waves with small amplitude?

Yes, heavy objects can be used to modulate light waves with small amplitude. This phenomenon is known as gravitational lensing, where the gravitational pull of a massive object bends the path of light, causing it to appear distorted or magnified.

2. How do heavy objects affect light waves?

Heavy objects have a large amount of mass, which causes a strong gravitational pull. This pull can bend the path of light, altering its wavelength and amplitude, and ultimately modulating the light waves.

3. Is the modulation of light waves by heavy objects a common occurrence?

Yes, this phenomenon is observed in nature and has also been replicated in laboratory experiments. Gravitational lensing can be seen in the bending of starlight around massive objects like galaxies and clusters of galaxies.

4. Can we control the modulation of light waves by heavy objects?

While we cannot directly control the gravitational pull of objects, we can predict and measure the effects of their mass on light waves. This allows us to study and utilize gravitational lensing for various applications, such as in astronomy and cosmology.

5. Are there any practical uses for modulating light waves with heavy objects?

Yes, gravitational lensing has several practical applications. In astronomy, it allows us to study distant objects that would otherwise be too faint to observe. It also has potential applications in communication and imaging technologies, such as in gravitational wave detectors and telescopes.

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