On May 24, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) will resume its gravitational wave search. Gravitational waves are small, periodic fluctuations in the curvature of space and time produced by distant, violent cosmic events, such as the collision of two black holes.
Some say gravitational wave scientists are lucky, based on an amazing series of groundbreaking discoveries in the field in less than a decade. During each of his first three observation periods, gravitational-wave detectors discovered or confirmed new astrophysical phenomena. First, in 2015, a black hole collided, then two years later, a collision of tiny dead stars called neutron stars, and in 2019, a collision with a celestial body with a mass that was not expected to exist in the universe. I was.
Past performance is no guarantee of future success. But there is good reason to be optimistic about continuing this trend of space discovery, when LIGO goes live this month (followed by his two other detectors, Italy’s Virgo and Japan’s KAGRA).
Given the productivity of these detectors, why would astronomers switch them on and off in the first place? It means that This has allowed scientists to detect gravitational waves over a cosmic range that is orders of magnitude wider than when the first direct detections were made. But upgrading gravitational wave detectors is a complex and time-consuming task. It cannot be done in parallel with observation. Therefore, an observation period is provided. Scientists alternate between improving their detectors and listening to the sky.
Probing this vastly expanded cosmic volume virtually guarantees that observers will discover new skeletons in the cosmic closet. This is a discovery that could transform astrophysics and science as a whole. Here, we’ve cataloged six potential breakthroughs that we’re most looking forward to.
1. The most massive black hole. The heaviest black hole ever detected by gravitational waves has about 100 times the mass of the Sun. But thanks to an upgrade, our detector can now detect gravitational waves emanating from colliding black holes 1,000 times more massive than our Sun. If we can find black holes heavier than these, the situation will change completely. It tells us how black holes grow and how some of them reach supermassive sizes of millions or billions of times the mass of our home star. I guess. We know that there are such supermassive black holes at the center of large galaxies, but their origin is currently a mystery.
2. Radial black hole collision. A black hole is special, nothing, not even light, can escape from it. But in a cloud of interstellar gas he supposes two black holes collided. Such collisions can cause cosmic fireworks in this surrounding material. If we can detect the electromagnetic waves of such collisions, and even traces of neutrinos, together with gravitational waves, it would be a major discovery. Using such data, we were able to pinpoint exactly where and how the crash occurred, yielding vivid new details about the extreme space environment that were previously inaccessible. rice field. This precise localization of gravitational-wave signals could also offer astronomers a new and independent way to measure how fast the universe is expanding.
3. Origin of gold and platinum in space. Most elements in the universe are forged inside stars by thermonuclear fusion, but the heaviest elements such as gold, platinum and uranium require special creation processes. In 2017, scientists managed to catch a glimpse of both gravitational waves and light emitted simultaneously by a pair of colliding neutron stars, revealing how and how these events unleashed heavier elements. clarified how to generate It remains unclear whether neutron star collisions are in fact the main source of gold in the universe, but what is certain is that further discovery and study of these collisions will help fuel the ongoing heated debate. is settled, and we have a better understanding of when and where elemental constraints occur. As we know life can occur cosmically.
4. A nearby supernova explosion. The most massive stars explode as supernovae at the end of their lives, causing one of the most spectacular events in the universe. These explosions actually start with implosion. When a star’s core reaches critical mass, it collapses under its own gravity, leading to a huge, sudden release of energy that blows the entire star apart. Finding gravitational waves from such “nuclear decay” will allow us to peer into the heart of the explosion, revealing early stages hidden from us deep within the surface of a dying star. I can. This gives us an idea of how matter behaves at densities above the atomic nucleus, or densities above 100 million tons per tablespoon of matter.
5. Collapse of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Scientists suspect that current theories of gravity and spacetime are incomplete because they cannot be reconciled with the quantum mechanical description of reality. Part of the problem is the lack of experiments that can simultaneously test both strong gravity and the small spatial scales where most quantum-mechanical effects appear. A black hole is probably the closest thing he has to these two extreme points. So looking for deviations from general relativity in high-fidelity observations of gravitational waves could rewrite some of our fundamental understandings of space and time.
6. Unknown “unknown”. History teaches us that we should expect the unexpected every time we broaden our horizons. The same is true for gravitational wave astrophysics. The most exciting change of circumstances is when we discover new kinds of objects and cosmic phenomena that surprise us in some way. Fortunately, scientists are well prepared for this possibility. Gravitational wave data are searched not only for well-understood known signal types, but also for truly unknown signal types.
what’s next? These six potential breakthroughs may be achieved during the upcoming observation period of the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA detectors, but it’s worth noting that the future looks even brighter. Over the next few decades, scientists and policymakers will continue to explore the potential for a new generation of ambitious gravity stations, some of which are space-based. Such observatories have the potential to expand the scientific and cosmic horizons far beyond what is currently achievable. These pioneering projects aim not just to probe farther, but to be able to detect black hole collisions virtually throughout the universe. As for the future, it would be the biggest surprise if there were no surprises.
This is an opinion and analysis article and the views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the author. Scientific American.
