GRAVITY WAVES
We are nearly certain that gravity waves exist
(see
Binary Pulsar (PSR1913+16))
The goal of the current generation of
gravitational wave experiments,
LIGO, TAMA 300, GEO 600, VIRGO, and AIGO, is the direct detections of
gravitational radiation.
The current generation of gravitational wave expermients
use Michelson interferometers in their search for
gravity waves.
The gravity wave alternately
stretches and squeezes
each arm as it passes by
The U.S. LIGO sites are at Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA.
The University of Oregon group, Drs. Brau, Frey,
Strom, and Torrence, is part of the Hanford effort.
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The current generation of gravitational wave expermients use Michelson interferometers in their search for gravity waves.
|
|
The gravity wave alternately stretches and squeezes each arm as it passes by
|
|
The U.S. LIGO sites are at Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA.
The University of Oregon group, Drs. Brau, Frey,
Strom, and Torrence, is part of the Hanford effort.
|
The interferometer's arms
are ~4 kilometers in length;
the beams are reflected in cavities around 50 times to increase
the effective size. The effective
size detemines the GW frequencies
to which LIGO is sensitive.
