Are Gravitational Waves accepted?

In summary, there have been criticisms of the LIGO results, but they have not gained traction in the scientific community. The paper "On the times lags from LIGO signals" has been accepted for publication and discusses correlations in the detector noise. The distinction between signal and noise has yet to be established to determine the contribution of gravitational waves. With the addition of a third detector and the detection of a GW event with an optical or gamma-ray counterpart, any doubts should be removed.
  • #1
nmsurobert
288
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Is this accepted throughout the science community now? Is there any doubt that LIGO actually detected gravity in the form of waves?
 
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  • #2
There have been some criticisms published of the LIGO results. AFAIK none of them have any real traction in the scientific community in general; the general belief appears to be that the LIGO results are valid.
 
  • #3
The paper "On the times lags from LIGO signals"

https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.04191v2

has been accepted for publication. From the abstract:

.. we report correlations in the detector noise which, at the time of the event, happen to be maximized for the same time lag as that found for the event itself ... A clear distinction between signal and noise therefore remains to be established in order to determine the contribution of gravitational waves to the detected signals.

See the interesting discussion "On the time lags of the LIGO signals" at cosmologist Peter Cole's blog "In the Dark"

I suspect that this criticism will not remain viable when a detector at a third location comes on line.
 
  • #4
Also, if (when) a GW event with an optical and/or gamma-ray counterpart is detected, this should remove all doubt.
 

1. What are gravitational waves?

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time caused by the acceleration of massive objects, such as black holes or neutron stars. They were first predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity.

2. How were gravitational waves detected?

Gravitational waves were first directly detected in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). This involved using laser interferometry to measure tiny distortions in space-time caused by passing gravitational waves.

3. Why is the confirmation of gravitational waves important?

The confirmation of gravitational waves provides further evidence for Einstein's theory of general relativity and opens up a new way of observing and understanding the universe. It also allows us to study and learn more about objects in the universe that emit gravitational waves, such as black holes and neutron stars.

4. Are there any other ways to detect gravitational waves?

Yes, there are other methods being developed to detect gravitational waves, such as using pulsar timing arrays or space-based interferometers. These methods may allow us to detect gravitational waves from different sources and at different frequencies.

5. Can gravitational waves be used for anything practical?

At this time, gravitational waves do not have any practical applications. However, as our understanding of them grows, they may potentially be used for things such as precision measurements or studying the early universe.

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