Science

Scientists observe for the first time, gravitational waves

It is a Jahrhunderterfolg: space explorers according to their own by Albert Einstein 100 years ago, predicted gravitational waves for the first time directly demonstrated.

The astrophysicists from gravitational-wave Observatory LIGO presented their nobelpreisverdächtige discovery in Washington. Gravitational waves occur, especially when large objects like stars to be accelerated. You squashing and stretching the space – similar to a into the water, thrown stone, the spreading ripples on the surface.

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New Era in physics and astronomy

With the gravitational wave Observatory LIGO in the USA began, the astrophysicists, the signature of two verschmelzender Black holes, such as the LIGO consortium reported. “We have a new kind of telescope built and a new field opens up,” said one of the LIGO-founding fathers, and Rainer Weiss of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The discovery were also German researchers are involved.

For the first time, were now Black holes, observe directly, said Alessandra Buonanno, Director at the Max-Planck-Institute in Potsdam. The possibility of gravitational waves to measure directly, setlle a fundamentally new tool for the exploration of the universe, emphasized Buonanno. “This starts with security, a new Era in physics and astronomy.”

Einstein confirmed

Gravitational waves belong to the spectacular predictions of Albert Einstein’s General theory of relativity. Each accelerated body sends, therefore, gravitational waves, so a motorist at a traffic light starts. The waves are all the stronger, the more mass the body has. However, they are usually so tiny, that Einstein himself is not believed that they ever could measure. For over 50 years, looking for a physicist with a direct proof. This is now evident with the two LIGO-Messtationen (Laser-Interferometer-gravitational-wave Observatory) in Livingston and Hanford succeeded.

“We have the last four rounds of two Black holes seen before they are fused together”, – said the Executive Director of the Max-Planck-Institute for gravitational physics in Potsdam and Hanover, Bruce Allen. The Institute is actively involved in the search process and made technology to the LIGO Observatory contributed. Two scientists from Hanover and had the Signal from the USA as first noticed.

Measurement with Laserystem

According to the analysis, the two had observed Black holes 29 and 36 Times as much mass as our sun. From their merger, the Black hole, however, has only 62 times that of the sun. The difference of 3 solar masses is in accordance with Einstein’s mass-energy Equivalence in the Form of Gravitationswellenenergie radiated. The LIGO scientists describe their discovery in the prestigious journal “Physical Review Letters”.

LIGO measures the Vibration in the space-time with the aid of two, each four kilometres long on a flat surface and lying tubes, at right angles collide. A laser system in the tubes can be the length of the arms extremely accurate monitor. Running a gravity wave through the plant, squeezes and stretches the arms differently. The merging Black holes stauchten the system is only around one-thousandth the thickness of a Wasserstoffatomkerns. Nevertheless, the proposed detector.

cr/qu (dpa, afp)