Gravitational wave effects on different materials

[Andy DS]

TL;DR

Do gravitational waves squash soft materials more than stiff ones?

Given that the Earth's gravity will distort, say, a soft fruit like a ripe tomato more than an iron ball, can we say gravitational waves from space have the same differential effects on these and other common earthly items.
Does LIGO experience the effects of gravitational waves due to the distortion of the planet, if so could it be made more sensitive by mounting it on a soft more conformable base.

 

[Ibix]

The gravitational wave will induce strains in the object, and its internal forces will dictate how it responds. So the result will depend on material stiffness, yes.

Gravitational wave detectors are essentially free-to-move mirrors and a device that measures the distance between them. They have zero rigidity, ideally. Earth-based detectors need extremely rigid casings and very carefully designed mirror mounts to avoid transmitting vibration from the Earth to the detector. That's not really about detection of gravitational waves, though, just about suppressing noise.

I believe rigid-bar detectors were once suggested, but the LIGO type is more sensitive.

 

[Andy DS]

OK, so the mirrors aren't rigidly mounted and their position will be perturbed relative to the ground by the passing waves.

 

[Ibix]

The mirrors move relative to each other (or at least, the distance between them changes). The ground is (ideally) not relevant to the operation of the detector. In fact, there are proposals for space-based sensors where the mirrors are on separate satellites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Interferometer_Space_Antenna

 

[PeroK]

TL;DR Summary: Do gravitational waves squash soft materials more than stiff ones?

Given that the Earth's gravity will distort, say, a soft fruit like a ripe tomato more than an iron ball, can we say gravitational waves from space have the same differential effects on these and other common earthly items.
Does LIGO experience the effects of gravitational waves due to the distortion of the planet, if so could it be made more sensitive by mounting it on a soft more conformable base.

https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/ligo-technology