A Galaxy-Sized Observatory For Gravitational Waves

KentuckyFC writes "Gravitational waves squash and stretch space as they travel through the universe. Current attempts to spot them involve monitoring a region of space several kilometers across on Earth for the telltale signs of this squeezing. These experiments have so far seen nothing. But by monitoring an array of pulsars throughout the galaxy, astronomers should be able to see the effects of gravitational waves passing by. They say such an array of pulsars should effectively shimmer as the gravitational waves wash over it, like a grid of buoys bobbing on the ocean. That'll create an observatory that is effectively the size of the entire galaxy. These observations should be capable of monitoring how galaxies and supermassive black holes evolve together, and shed light on the physics of the early universe. Best of all, the next generation of radio-telescope arrays should be capable of making these observations at a cost of around $66 million over ten years. That's a small fraction of the hundreds of millions that Earth-based observatories have already cost."

Comments

Usefulness

[JustNiz]

>>> "Gravitational waves squash and stretch space as they travel through the universe

Gravitational waves are very useful in the kitchen. I use them for juicing oranges.

Galaxy envy?

[davidwr]

Will beings in larger galaxies taunt us because their gravity-wave detectors are bigger than ours?

Re:Is thisntest desing in such away

[rts008]

Is thisntest desing in such away that is could falsify the theory?

What language is this written in?
What does it translate to in English?

Re:Guess LIGO failed too many times

[__aasqbs9791]

I really expected that link to redirect to http://www.timecube.com/

Re:A complementary approach

[Kagura]

what ever it is... adjustment of the crust, startquakes, or what the theory of the month is.

The stopquakes are the ones you have to watch out for.

Physics = Useful inventions

[AliasMarlowe]

So what do you know, maybe when you'll be older you'll owe your flying car to current research on gravitational waves.

And gravity-defying breast implants for your wife...

Re:Guess LIGO failed too many times

[Goaway]

It takes you literally a single mouse click to find out who I am, but I guess that would take a little bit of marbles, huh?