Gravity Waves: Energy Transfer from Observation

In summary, the observation of gravity waves suggests that some energy was transferred to the observing instruments, likely in the form of kinetic and potential energy as the interferometer arms oscillated. This was demonstrated by Feynman's sticky bead argument, which he came up with out of frustration with other scientists who were focusing too much on abstract math instead of practical physics.
  • #1
NC_Seattle
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I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts on this.

Does the fact that a set of gravity waves were observed imply that some energy, presumably a very small amount, was transferred from the gravity wave to observing instruments? If so, where in the apparatus and how did this transfer occur?
 
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  • #2
NC_Seattle said:
If so, where in the apparatus and how did this transfer occur?
The gravity waves simply pass through matter similar to how sound passes through matter. As the waves passed over the interferometer arms it changed the length ever so slightly but enough to be measured then they returned to their normal length. I don't think gravity waves "change" matter or "change" back into matter, they just dissipating energy.
 
  • #3
NC_Seattle said:
Does the fact that a set of gravity waves were observed imply that some energy, presumably a very small amount, was transferred from the gravity wave to observing instruments? If so, where in the apparatus and how did this transfer occur?

Yes, the waves caused the arms of the interferometers to oscillate in length. Those oscillations had kinetic and potential energy.

Historically, there was a lot of confusion on this point. Feynman came up with an argument called the sticky bead argument to demonstrate that gravitational waves would carry energy and could donate energy to an antenna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_bead_argument
 
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  • #5
bcrowell said:
Feynman came up with an argument called the sticky bead argument

As an amusing historical note, Feynman apparently came up with this out of frustration with other scientists at the Chapel Hill conference, who he felt were stuck in abstract math instead of looking at the physics, and as a result were confusing themselves unnecessarily. In a letter he wrote from the conference (to his wife Gweneth, IIRC--I read about this in the foreword to the Feynman Lectures on Gravitation), he said something like "This is what comes of looking for conserved tensors, etc., instead of asking: can the waves do work?"
 
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What are gravity waves?

Gravity waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time that propagate at the speed of light. They are caused by massive objects accelerating, such as black holes or stars orbiting each other.

How are gravity waves observed?

Gravity waves are observed using detectors called interferometers, which measure the changes in distance caused by gravity waves passing through the Earth.

What is the energy transfer process of gravity waves?

Gravity waves transfer energy by transferring momentum. As the waves pass through objects, they cause them to vibrate and lose energy in the process.

How can gravity waves help us understand the universe?

Gravity waves are a powerful tool for studying the universe. They can provide information about the properties of massive objects, such as their mass and spin, and can also help us understand the formation and evolution of the universe.

What are the potential applications of gravity wave research?

Gravity wave research has potential applications in a variety of fields, including astronomy, cosmology, and physics. It can also help us develop new technologies, such as more precise instruments for detecting gravitational waves.

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