announced on Thursday the results of measurements of gravitational waves immediately began to connect with the submitted a hundred years ago the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein. Is it really the discovery of a similar caliber?
little media exaggeration crept up to this, but certainly we are dealing with a very important event. Einstein in his theory of relativity predicted that gravitational waves exist, but their long existence was purely theoretical. It was only in the 70s could be seen two physicists Russell Hulse’owi and Joseph Taylor – in 1993. Got anyway for the Nobel Prize. Now, instead we managed to make epochal technological progress, for the first time were able to measure these waves on Earth.
How did this happen?
system was built very large gravitational interferometers, which made it possible. Two interferometers formed in USA, three in Italy. In addition, teams of scientists associated with interferometers US and Europe have decided to mutually transmit their data with other groups. They searched the same signal that all detectors should see almost simultaneously. And both detectors that were in September this year on, measured the same signal.
Why so long before it could be traced?
gravitational wave, even produced by the collision of black holes or the powerful supernova explosion on Earth is extremely weak signal. To be able to measure it, it was necessary to create a high-precision instrument that could measure the difference in the optical path length of two light rays at a distance of several kilometers smaller than the size of a proton. Finally, such an instrument, and indeed several instruments, waited. It is incredible technological achievement, 50 years ago it did not seem impossible to measure such a thing directly. It is so minimal signs that it was necessary to build some Michelson interferometer arm lengths of several kilometers and pray to it that all at the same time saw the same thing.
READ ALSO: Fill the gap in the theory of Einstein
Who is the father of this success? Who should be proud of – in addition to Einstein, of course?
Those who built interferometers. Americans Laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory (LIGO), as well as team working in the European Observatory of gravity (EGO) in Italy, where you can enjoy a powerful interferometer Virgo. It EGO was built with funds five countries: Italy, France, the Netherlands, Hungary and Polish. Interestingly, a few years ago, LIGO was certain that they were the first to face these waves.
It seemed? Where they are wrong?
Nowhere, in fact they were able to measure gravitational waves. They knew only that it was not a real wave, only artificial signal imitating her. She let him LIGO management, wanting to see what would happen if the LIGO gravitational wave really gone. Interpreters have passed the examination, it immediately wychwycili – and they were, moreover, for this reason overjoyed. Only after some time they met a big disappointment, when they heard that it was just a test. But now it seems that lived to the real measurement.
You mentioned the Polish contribution to the observatory in Italy. How is it big?
Already our contribution to the creation of Virgo was considerable. In addition, there is a very strong group of Polish mathematicians and astrophysicists relativists who supports this project from the theoretical side. In particular, the prof. Andrew Królak of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Professor. Peter Jaranowski of the University of Bialystok are co-creators, based on the general theory of relativity (OPEN), the profile model signal that a gravitational wave – formed at the junction of two black holes – should have. And it is a signal of exactly such a profile was measured. She worked on the group of a dozen Polish scholars gathered around Królak and Jaranowskiego, which is called POLGRAV. Apart from them yet working group Pi of the Sky, which measures the correlation between what they see LIGO and Virgo, and what you see in the dimension of the optical sky. This group was inspired by prof. Bohdan Paczynski. Although Paczyński died in 2007., But his work continues, researchers from the University of Warsaw prof. Andrzej Udalski, prof. Alexander Żarnecki and prof. Lech Mankiewicz.
No comments:
Post a Comment