How do gravitational waves get detected on Earth?
Quick Answer
Special laser interferometers measure minuscule stretching of space caused by passing gravitational waves. The effect is so small that detectors like LIGO can sense changes much smaller than a proton.
The Full Story
Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime produced by violent events such as colliding black holes or neutron stars. LIGO uses two long arms arranged in an L shape and a laser beam split between them; a passing wave slightly changes the arm lengths, altering the interference pattern of the returning light. The first direct detection was announced in 2016 from an event observed in 2015, confirming a major prediction of Einstein’s general relativity. Virgo in Europe and KAGRA in Japan now contribute to the global network of detectors.
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