I Gravitational wave effects on different materials

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Gravitational waves induce differential effects on materials, with softer items like ripe tomatoes distorting more than rigid objects like iron balls. LIGO's design relies on free-moving mirrors to detect these waves, and while the mirrors are not rigidly mounted, their relative movement is crucial for measurement. The sensitivity of LIGO is not significantly enhanced by mounting it on a softer base, as the primary concern is to suppress ground vibrations rather than enhance detection. Current designs focus on maintaining rigidity to minimize noise interference from Earth. Future proposals include space-based detectors, which could further improve sensitivity by eliminating ground-related distortions.
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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.
 
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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.
 
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OK, so the mirrors aren't rigidly mounted and their position will be perturbed relative to the ground by the passing waves.
 
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
 
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Andy DS said:
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
 
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