Gravity waves - Mystery 100 years about to be discovered

A huge experiment in Pisa, Italy, is being conducted to find the existence of gravitational waves in the theory of relativity proposed by the scientist Albert Einstein.

Experiments look for gravitational waves

Scientists from many countries began conducting a gravitational search experiment called Advanced Virgo in an Italian suburb near Pisa.

The gravitational wave illustration of Albert Einstein.(Photo: BBC).

"We are about to have the opportunity to first detect gravitational waves on Earth , " said Dr. Franco Frasconi at the University of Pisa, a member of the international research team.

This is a difficult experiment. The first version of the experiment called Virgo, which began in 2007, failed. A similar project in the US with the name Ligo also failed.

Having repeatedly upgraded the technology with expensive equipment to improve the observatory's sensitivity, both experiments are now restarted, giving scientists more hope.

The team will focus on detecting small distortions created when gravitational waves pass through the Earth. They hope to find gravitational waves spreading from cosmic events such as stellar explosions or collisions.

Experiment with Advanced Virgo in Italy with two three kilometer long tunnel branches.(Photo: Advanced Virgo).

The Virgo detector built on two three kilometer long tunnels formed a giant L shape. A laser beam was created and divided into two rays fired along the tunnels. The mirrors at the two ends of the tunnel make the laser reflect many times inside before merging into one.

In theory, these lasers after moving on the same distance along the two tunnels will cancel each other out and the composite signal is zero.

However, if a gravitational wave passes through the tunnel, it will deform the surroundings in an unrecognizable way and change a fraction of the length of the tunnel - about a part of the atomic width. The distance the laser travels in that branch will also stretch or shrink a corresponding distance, while in the other branch, the distance that the laser is moving remains unchanged.

As a result, the laser after merging will not cancel each other out. The success of the experiment will create the foundation to conduct the Ligo project in the US with greater accuracy.

On November 25, 1915, Albert Einstein published a relative discussion before the Science Institute of Prussia, Germany. This doctrine is a pillar of modern physics, completely changing people's understanding of space, time and gravity.

Advanced Ligo laboratory in the US.(Photo: Advanced Virgo).

As a result, we have more knowledge about the expansion of the universe, the motion of planets and black holes. However, the existence of gravitational waves, an important part of Einstein's theory of relativity, remains unproven.

Gravitational waves can be visualized as waves emitted when a stone is thrown into a lake. Basically, gravitational waves carry energy and can distort the space-time structure. Any object with mass when moving generates an attractive wave. The larger the volume, the faster the movement, the stronger the emitted wave.

According to scientists, the Advanced Virgo experiment will produce results on January 1, 2017. If the experiment is successful, one of Albert Einstein's biggest predictions will be directly observed for the first time. In contrast, this physical rule may need reconsideration.