Can LIGO Data Replicate the Famous Michealson & Morley Experiment?

[fizzy]

Would it be possible to duplicate the Michealson & Morely experiment using LIGO data?

Essentially the geometry seems to be the same , so I was wondering whether it would be possible verify the M&M result at a much higher resolution using existing LIGO data or is the stability not designed to work at long enough time scales? Maybe the data is pre-filtered to only keep relatively high frequency data.

Maybe the

 

[Borg]

LIGO is essentially a form of Michelson & Morley experiment. Instead of looking for a continuous ether traveling in a single direction, LIGO is looking for brief (and extremely small) changes in spacetime between the two paths due to the passing of a gravitational wave.

More information on LIGO's Interferometer.

LIGO's interferometer is classified as a Dual Recycled, Fabry-Perot Michelson Interferometer.

 

[fizzy]

yes, I realize that , that is why I asked the question.

The questions is more about the data interferometer than about the interferometer. Since they are focussed on relatively high frequencies , they may have filtered out anything long enough to inform about motion through the ether. I guess that would require very low frequencies 0.16 per hour max. preferable one per day.

I suspect the machine has not been designed to provide that kind of stability.

 

[Vanadium 50]

There is no need to build a more accurate MM experiment. The few people who are not convinced by the existing data will not be convinced by this.

Running LIGO for a year continuously, because of events like earthquakes, is impossible. There used to be problems with Earth tides as well, I don't know if these were solved or not. They are more predictable.

So, it's both impossible and unnecessary, which explains why it doesn't happen.

 

[fizzy]

It is not a case of convincing anyone who is not convinced. MM proved that there was not a detectable effect within the limits of their apparatus. Anyone who is "convinced" of more than that is not being scientific.

IIRC, MM was only a couple of meters long on each leg. If LIGO is capable of adding a couple of orders of magnitude to what was done over 100y ago , it would be interesting. But maybe it is not possible within the constraints of an earthbound system.

 

[Bandersnatch]

It is not a case of convincing anyone who is not convinced. MM proved that there was not a detectable effect within the limits of their apparatus. Anyone who is "convinced" of more than that is not being scientific.

IIRC, MM was only a couple of meters long on each leg. If LIGO is capable of adding a couple of orders of magnitude to what was done over 100y ago , it would be interesting. But maybe it is not possible within the constraints of an earthbound system.

I'm quite sure Vanadium meant what he wrote - that is the existing data, all of it, and not just the original M&M experiment.
See here:
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/experiments.html#round-trip_tests

 

[fizzy]

Thanks Bandersnatch, nice resume.