Measuring Black Hole Gravity with a Laser

[deathstar]

in an article (pdf file) it says that black holes make waves in the fabric of space. they are going to measure it with a laser being shot around it. My question is when the laser gets shot how are they going to measure the bending if the light hits the same spot without the bending?

 

[Vanadium 50]

First, that's nonsense. Nobody (not even "they") is going to go to a black hole - the nearest one is many trillions of miles away, and the farthest we have ever sent a person is a few hundred thousand.

Second, whoever wrote that article doesn't know what they are talking about. There's no such thing as a "lazer". It's "laser".

Finally, if you want us to discuss something about an article, you have to tell us which article. The fact it's in a PDF file doen't help us. Give us a proper reference.

 

[sir-pinski]

The concept of using a laser to measure black hole gravity is based on the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. When light from a distant object passes near a massive object, such as a black hole, it can be bent by the strong gravitational pull of the object. This bending of light creates a distortion in the fabric of space, which can be observed and measured using a laser.

The laser being used in this experiment will be aimed at a specific location near the black hole, and as it travels through space, it will be affected by the gravitational pull of the black hole. The amount of bending that occurs will depend on the strength of the black hole's gravity and the distance between the laser and the black hole.

To measure this bending, scientists will use a technique called interferometry. This involves splitting the laser beam into two separate beams and then recombining them after they have traveled different paths. If the two beams are in sync when they are recombined, it means that they have traveled the same distance and have not been affected by any gravitational lensing. However, if the beams are out of sync, it means that one beam has traveled a longer distance due to the bending of space caused by the black hole.

By analyzing the interference pattern of the recombined beams, scientists can determine the amount of bending that occurred and use this information to calculate the strength of the black hole's gravity. This technique has been successfully used in other experiments to measure the effects of gravity on light, such as the famous Eddington experiment in 1919.

In summary, the laser will be used to measure the bending of light caused by the black hole's gravity, and the interference pattern of the recombined beams will be used to determine the strength of the gravity. This innovative method of measuring black hole gravity has the potential to provide valuable insights into the mysterious nature of these enigmatic objects.