THE ANALYSIS OF
DISCOVERY
LIGO is a giant, L-shaped detector and it’s working
principal is fairly easy. The source sends out a laser
beam, which splits into two and travels along
4-kilometer long tubes. There are mirrors awaiting
the laser beams at the very end of the gigantic tubes
and the beams bounce off and converge back to the
beam splitter since the source and the distance the
beams travel are same the beams are in phase and
the interference will be destructive resulting the laser
beams canceling each other out. As a result, no light
can be seen. But if the distance the laser beams travel
changes, caused by a gravitational wave, the light
can be observed and the physicists also can detect
the gravitational waves via the brightness of the light
observed.
PHYSICS
DEPARTMENT
THE AFTERMATH
Detecting the waves has opened up the Universe
to diverse investigations. According to the famous
physicist, Stephen Hawking gravitational waves
provide us to envisage the universe in a completely
different image and this progress will help us to
revolutionize the astronomical studies.
Mert TÜZEMEN
11-A
THE CLAPPER 2015 - 2016 41