Graviational wave

1. Sep 26, 2006

Ahmed Abdullah

Vibrating charges emits electromagnetic waves. Does any vibrating mass is capable of producing wave (that can be called graviational wave)?

2. Sep 26, 2006

Integral

Staff Emeritus
Theory says, yes... it has not yet been observed experimentally.

3. Sep 26, 2006

Sojourner01

There are experiments going on at the moment - pointing michelson-morley style interferometers at supernovae and trying to detect the spacetime distortions (supposedly) given off. Because the gravitational force is actually incredibly weak, these are very difficult to see - hence the supernova-as-a-subject requirement; nothing else is powerful enough.

4. Sep 26, 2006

Garth

Gravitational waves are incredibly weak (OOM 10-40 em waves) and might be detectable but only from the strongest gravitational fields.

Note that if the system retains spherical symmetry, such as in a Cepheid Variable star that oscillates in diameter, or a supernova that explodes more or less symmetrically, gravitational waves are not produced.

Systems that should produce detectable gravitational waves are closely orbiting pulsars PSR J0737-3039A/B and colliding neutron stars/black holes such as those that are thought to be a possible source of short GRBs. As Integral said none have yet been detected.

Garth

Last edited: Sep 26, 2006
5. Sep 26, 2006

Severian

Last edited by a moderator: May 2, 2017
6. Sep 26, 2006

cesiumfrog

This is quite an exciting field: If astronomical source estimates are correct, LIGO is now approaching the sensitivity where there is a real chance of them making a detection anytime in the next "year or several" -- and whenever LISA launches, it should be swamped with signal (interferometers work like omnidirectional microphones). With any luck there will exist a completely new branch of astronomy within a couple decades.