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

AI Thread Summary
Heavy objects, such as celestial bodies, do not modulate light waves in the way suggested, as gravitational lensing does not affect light amplitude significantly. The concept that heavy objects can operate light waves with smaller amplitude is flawed, as static masses do not emit gravitational waves. Gravitational waves require dynamic interactions, like orbiting masses, to be produced. The discussion highlights a misunderstanding of the relationship between gravity and light waves. Overall, the proposed ideas do not align with established physics principles.
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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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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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.
 
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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