MIT experiment detects the quantum noise movement in LIGO's 40kg mirrors

[gary]

MIT physicists have performed an experiment (http://news.mit.edu/2020/quantum-fluctuations-jiggle-objects-0701) in which by cancelling out
other noise sources, claimed to have observed the quantum noise induced
movement of LIGO’s 40-kilogram mirrors.



Full press release here :-
http://news.mit.edu/2020/quantum-fluctuations-jiggle-objects-0701

News story at Nature with diagrams :-
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01914-4

[multiweb]

This is incredible. I guess leaving and banging the office door after you is a case for instant dismissal if they're measuring a deviation worth an atom size.

[gary]

Hi Marc.

Much, much, much tinier than an atom size. :)

A displacement in the order of 10e-20 meters.

As one of the researchers state, “A hydrogen atom is 10e-10 meters, so this displacement of the mirrors is to a hydrogen atom what a hydrogen atom is to us"

[multiweb]

Oh wow, you're right... I misread the exponents. That's not a dismissal, more like a maffia contract on your a$$.

[Dennis]

Thanks for the links and quotes Gary, all very readable and immensely interesting to see the Quantum World and the Classical World bridged in this manner.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[DarkArts]

Very interesting article.