All articles tagged with #ligo
A record-high-quality gravitational wave signal from a binary black hole merger (GW250114) produced multiple ringdown tones that independently yield the same black-hole mass and spin, providing a precise test of general relativity that passes, while underscoring the ongoing pursuit of quantum gravity and related gaps in our understanding.
Scientists detected the loudest gravitational wave signal to date, GW250114, from a black-hole merger roughly 1.3 billion light-years away. The exceptionally clear signal lets researchers test Einstein’s general relativity with unprecedented precision, including the ringdown phase and multiple vibration tones, reinforcing GR and propelling future gravitational-wave astronomy with next‑generation detectors like LISA.
Scientists detected GW250114, the loudest gravitational-wave event yet, from a pair of about 30-solar-mass black holes merging around 1.3 billion light-years away, recorded by LIGO with unprecedented clarity thanks to detector upgrades. The signal allowed detailed tests of general relativity, including two primary ringdown tones and a newly identified overtone, all matching GR predictions and Hawking’s area theorem. This strengthens GR’s validity at extreme gravity and points to future tests with next‑generation detectors (Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer) and space-based LISA.
Scientists propose that magnetic fields during stellar collapse can eject mass from black holes, explaining the formation of unexpectedly large black holes within the 'mass gap' and potentially resolving the mystery of a recent, unusual black hole merger detected by LIGO.
The article explains that Weber bars, early devices designed to detect gravitational waves, are not practical for modern detection due to their small size and sensitivity limitations. Current detectors like LIGO use laser interferometry to successfully observe these waves, which originate from massive cosmic events. While Weber's approach was pioneering, advancements have made it obsolete for detecting the faint, high-frequency gravitational waves produced by most astrophysical sources today.
Scientists have detected two pairs of merging black holes, with the larger black holes in each pair likely being 'second-generation' black holes formed from previous mergers, providing evidence of hierarchical black hole formation and confirming Einstein's predictions through gravitational wave observations.
Scientists detected gravitational waves from two newborn black holes formed by previous mergers, providing new insights into black hole formation, general relativity, and particle physics, with one event revealing a black hole spinning in the opposite direction of its orbit for the first time.
October 2025 marks ten years since the first direct detection of gravitational waves by LIGO, confirming Einstein's predictions. These waves are ripples in space caused by massive objects like black holes and neutron stars, detected through laser interferometry in observatories in the US and abroad. The article highlights the science behind detection, recent discoveries, and ways the public can participate in gravitational wave research.
Recent black hole merger detections by LIGO provide the clearest evidence yet supporting Einstein's general relativity and Hawking's area theorem, confirming black holes are simple objects characterized by mass and spin, and offering insights into the fundamental nature of space-time and quantum physics.
New observations of black hole mergers by LIGO have confirmed key predictions of Einstein's general relativity, including the simplicity of black holes described by just mass and spin, and Hawking's area theorem, providing deeper insights into the nature of black holes and space-time.
A new preprint suggests that daylight savings time can indirectly affect gravitational wave detection by altering human activity patterns, which in turn impacts the sensitivity and data quality of observatories like LIGO, potentially introducing systemic biases in gravitational wave astronomy.
Rainer Weiss, a Nobel laureate physicist, played a pivotal role in the detection of gravitational waves through the LIGO observatory, confirming Einstein's century-old prediction and advancing our understanding of the universe. His work involved designing highly sensitive laser interferometers to measure minuscule ripples in space-time caused by cosmic events, marking a major milestone in astrophysics.
LIGO's 10th anniversary marks a decade of groundbreaking gravitational wave detections, including the recent GW250114 event, which provides strong confirmation of Hawking's area theorem and the Kerr nature of black holes, showcasing significant advancements in detector sensitivity and our understanding of the universe.
It's been 10 years since the first detection of gravitational waves, a discovery that confirmed a prediction by Einstein and has since led to the development of multiple detection facilities worldwide, enabling regular observations of black hole mergers and advancing our understanding of the universe.
Since its landmark 2015 detection of gravitational waves confirming Einstein's general relativity, LIGO and its collaborators have made over 300 groundbreaking discoveries, including the heaviest black hole mergers, neutron star collisions, multimessenger astronomy, and the loudest gravitational wave signals, opening new windows into the universe's most extreme events.