Gamma rays may be a new source for observing gravitational waves, according to a recent release from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. This will allow a third method for observing gravitational waves including laser and radio wave interferometry.
In 1916 Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves, the ripples in space-time move in all directions away from the accelerating large objects. According to his theory, these waves would travel at the speed of light, carrying information about where they came from and allowing us to learn more about gravity.
It took nearly 100 years to detect gravitational waves directly, proving this part of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. It was done before Laser Gravity Wave Observatory (LIGO) In 2015, when it detected waves coming from two colliding black holes 1.3 billion light-years away.
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LIGO uses lasers embedded in two L-shaped arms that are 4 km (2.5 miles) long and have two LIGO detectors. When a gravitational wave passes through the laser, it creates an interference pattern that other detectors can identify and verify. To determine the signal source, a third detector is required. There is one in Italy called Virgo And another one in Japan called kagra which works on the same principle.
Astronomers have recently tried using radio waves from pulsars to detect these gravitational waves as well, though so far with no success. This method looks for fluctuations in radio signals originating from millisecond pulsars that rotate hundreds of times every second on a regular basis, apparently caused by gravitational waves from merging supermassive black holes.
Now gamma rays are being examined to see if gravitational waves can be detected. An international group of scientists has examined data collected by the FERMI gamma-ray space telescope over a ten year period. This data also comes from pulsars, but has the benefit of not being affected by electrons in interstellar space like radio waves. These electrons bend radio waves and interfere with their travel time, thus affecting the accuracy of observations.
As reported in the source article, one of the scientists, Aditya Parthasarathy, states that “with five more years of collecting and analyzing pulsar data, they will be able to equate to the added bonus of not having to worry about all those stray electrons. .” Long after FERMI was launched in 2008, scientists had a new method for detecting gravitational waves that had never been considered before, and could be used to confirm future results from other observatories.
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Credit title: Illustration of NASA’s Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope orbiting Earth. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Drawing Lab
