Gravitational waves, created by massive accelerating objects, are detected using sensitive equipment like LIGO and the LVK collaboration. Since 2015, hundreds of similar events have been detected, including black holes formed by collapsed stars. These waves enable scientists to study dark matter and energy in the universe. For UPSC GS III
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Picture Courtesy: INDIAN EXPRESS
Scientists have reported the discovery of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes that are the biggest to have been observed, an event named GW231123.
Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime. Massive accelerating objects create these ripples, similar to how a boat moving in a lake produces water ripples.
Albert Einstein first proposed their existence in his General Theory of Relativity in 1915. However, these waves are extremely weak, and only events of immense power, such as black hole mergers, generate detectable ones on Earth.
Scientists use highly sensitive equipment to detect gravitational waves. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States made the first detection in 2015.
The LIGO facilities use laser interferometry to measure tiny distortions in spacetime caused by passing gravitational waves. Since 2015, the global network of detectors, known as the LVK collaboration, has detected hundreds of similar events.
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What is the Global Gravitational Wave Network (LVK Collaboration)? The Gravitational Wave Network, often called the LVK collaboration, is a global alliance of observatories that work together to detect gravitational waves.
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Until their detection, scientists relied heavily on electromagnetic waves, such as light, X-rays, or radio waves, to study the cosmos. However, much of the universe consists of dark matter and dark energy, which do not interact with electromagnetic waves, making them "invisible" to traditional telescopes.
Gravitational waves can pass through matter and radiation without significant interaction, allowing scientists to study events and regions that electromagnetic waves cannot penetrate.
It is a region in spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape.
It is formed when a massive star collapses under its own gravity, resulting in a singularity where all mass is concentrated. The boundary around the singularity, called the event horizon, is the point of no return.
Black holes are invisible, but their presence can be detected through their gravitational effects on nearby matter.
A black hole merger occurs when two black holes orbit each other, gradually moving closer as they emit gravitational waves. As they spiral inward, they collide and merge into a single, larger black hole. This process releases massive amounts of energy, which propagates as gravitational waves.
One black hole was approximately 140 times the mass of our Sun, and the other was about 100 times the Sun's mass. Their merger resulted in a new black hole approximately 225 times larger than the Sun, previous record was about 80 and 65 times larger.
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FAQ What are gravitational waves? Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime caused by massive accelerating objects. They offer a new way to "see" and study events like black hole mergers. How are gravitational waves detected by scientists on Earth? Scientists detect gravitational waves using highly sensitive equipment, such as laser interferometers at observatories like LIGO, which measure tiny distortions in spacetime caused by the passing waves. When was the first-ever detection of gravitational waves made? The first detection of gravitational waves was made in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States. |
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Source: INDIAN EXPRESS
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Which of the following statements about the LIGO-India project are correct? 1. LIGO-India will be the first gravitational wave observatory ever built outside the United States. 2. Its construction site is located in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra. Which of the above statements is/are correct? A) 1 only B) 2 only C) Both 1 and 2 D) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: B Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect: LIGO-India will not be the first gravitational wave observatory outside the US. Virgo (Italy) and KAGRA (Japan) already exist and are part of the LVK collaboration. Statement 2 is correct: The Department of Atomic Energy has selected a site in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra to set up this observatory. |
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