gravitational waves tagged posts

LIGO detected gravitational waves radiating from two black holes that crashed together about 1.3 billion years ago, simulation pictured. Researchers from Kyoto University have suggested the two black holes detected by Ligo could be ‘primordial’ black holes, instead of traditional black holes

An interdisciplinary team of physicists and astronomers at the University of Amsterdam’s GRAPPA Center of Excellence for Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics has devised a new strategy to search for ‘primordial’ black holes produced in the early universe. Such black holes are possibly responsible for the gravitational wave events observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory LIGO.

The researchers specifically show that the lack of bright X-ray and radio sources at the center of o...

A visualization of a supercomputer simulation of merging black holes sending out gravitational waves. Credit: NASA/C. Henze Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-05-uncover-gravitational-characteristics.html#jCp

Monash researchers have identified a new concept – ‘orphan memory’ – which changes the current thinking around gravitational waves. Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts that cataclysmic cosmic explosions stretch the fabric of spacetime. The stretching of spacetime is called ‘gravitational waves.’ After such an event, spacetime does not return to its original state. It stays stretched out. This effect is called ‘memory.’ The term ‘orphan’ alludes to the fact that the parent wave is not directly detectable.

“These waves could open the way for studying physics currently...

Andromeda Galaxy (stock image). Credit: © passmil198216 / Fotolia

Quest to settle riddle over Einstein’s theory may soon be over. Tests using advanced technology could resolve a longstanding puzzle over what is driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe. Researchers have long sought to determine how the Universe’s accelerated expansion is being driven. Calculations in a new study could help to explain whether dark energy- as required by Einstein’s theory of general relativity – or a revised theory of gravity are responsible.

Einstein’s theory, which describes gravity as distortions of space and time, included a Cosmological Constant...

Hubble Space Telescope Observation of the central region of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6101: Compared to the majority of Galactic globular clusters, NGC 6101 shows a less concentrated distribution of observable stars. Credit: NASA

Globular clusters are spherical collections of stars which orbit around a galactic centre such as our Milky-way galaxy. Using advanced computer simulations, the team at the University of Surrey were able to see the un-see-able by mapping a globular cluster known as NGC 6101, from which the existence of black holes within the system was deduced. These black holes are a few times larger than the Sun, and form in the gravitational collapse of massive stars at the end of their lives...