Questions on Gravity: Wavelength, Frequency, Effects

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the properties of gravity waves, their theoretical characteristics, and implications of mass-energy conversion on gravity waves. It includes inquiries about the wavelength and frequency of gravity waves, their potential similarities to electromagnetic waves, and the effects of mass changes on existing gravity waves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the wavelength and frequency of gravity waves, noting that they are currently hypothetical constructs.
  • There is a suggestion that gravity waves may exhibit properties similar to electromagnetic waves, such as diffraction and interference, though some participants argue against the possibility of diffraction.
  • One participant proposes that the frequency of gravity waves depends on their source, with different frequencies resulting from varying speeds of binary stars.
  • Another participant discusses the idea that gravity waves could interfere with each other, leading to varying gravitational effects depending on their alignment when reaching an observer.
  • Concerns are raised about the influence of a mass that has converted to energy on previously propagated gravity waves, with some asserting that these waves would still affect other masses regardless of the original mass's existence.
  • A later reply introduces the notion that there is a limit to the influence of the original mass, suggesting that the rate of collapse is constrained by the speed of light.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the properties of gravity waves, particularly regarding their similarities to electromagnetic waves and the implications of mass-energy conversion. There is no consensus on these points, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the hypothetical nature of gravity waves, the dependence on definitions of wave properties, and unresolved questions about the effects of mass changes on gravity waves.

jobyts
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What is the wavelength and frequency of gravity wave?

Does gravity wave theoretically have properties that EM waves exhibits? - like diffraction, interference?

If a mass suddenly converted to all energy, (E=mc2), what happens to the gravity waves that is already propagated? Wherever the gravity waves reach, it would still act on any other mass, regardless of the initial mass that originated the gravity exists or not. Right?
 
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At the moment Gravity Waves are a hypothetical construct so there wavelength and frequency are not known.
You might like to try googling LIGO or this link if it works .http://www.ligo-la.caltech.edu/contents/overviewsci.htm
Which will tell you much more.
 
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given that gravity is all things attracted to all things, should not all matter eventually be scattered evenly across space time, a kind of equilibrium of gravity; or is it impossible for this to occur in 3 dimensions as matter at the centre of the universe would experience differing gravity to matter not in the centre?
 
jobyts said:
What is the wavelength and frequency of gravity wave?

Does gravity wave theoretically have properties that EM waves exhibits? - like diffraction, interference?

If a mass suddenly converted to all energy, (E=mc2), what happens to the gravity waves that is already propagated? Wherever the gravity waves reach, it would still act on any other mass, regardless of the initial mass that originated the gravity exists or not. Right?

A gravity wave will have a frequency which will depend on its source. If the gravity waves are created by two slow moving binary stars, they will have a low frequency, while it they are fast moving, it will have a high frequency. This is simply because the time taken to create each wave would have changed.

I imagine that gravity waves would interfere with each other in the same way as normal waves. If two masses suddenly appeared either side of you, created a gravity wave, and then disappeared, then when the two waves reached you, they would 'cancel out' to give a very low overal gravitational pull. However if they suddenly appeared at about the same place, the waves would 'add up' and give a larger gravitational pull when they reached you.

I don't think they would diffract though. Diffraction happens when waves hit obstacles, and gravity waves just don't really interact with anything. If one hit the earth, it would travel straight through it and be pretty much unaffected when it came out the other side.

Gravity waves act more like longitudinal waves rather than transverse waves (like EM waves. They can't be polarised or anything. Gravity waves traveling through spacetime seem to me to be pretty similar to sound waves traveling through air.
 
jobyts said:
If a mass suddenly converted to all energy, (E=mc2), what happens to the gravity waves that is already propagated? Wherever the gravity waves reach, it would still act on any other mass, regardless of the initial mass that originated the gravity exists or not. Right?

Yes.
 
But, there is a point where the now vacant original mass no longer influences close to the vacant source. The rate of collapse is c.
 

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