Gravitational Waves???

[colinmlegg (Colin)]

5 sigma, r=0.2 +- 0.05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlfIVEy_YOA

[sjastro]

To get back to this extraordinary result of detecting 'gravitational waves'. It is more the detection of gravitational fluctuations due to quantum fluctuations at a time of 'inflation' in a very early Universe about the size of a grape?

You are not detecting gravitational fluctuations. Gravity and gravitational waves are very different animals. In GR gravity is a fictitious force and observer dependent, gravitational waves are ripples in space time and have a quadrupole symmetry. If you put test particles in the way of an approaching gravitational wave, particles orientated in one direction of the wave where they are pulled together, will at 90 degrees be pulled apart.
It is this property of gravitational waves which results in the polarization of photons has led to the discovery.

Regards

Steven

[avandonk]

Thanks for that clarification Steven.

I had it totally wrong!

Bert

[Shiraz (Ray)]

Crikey - first Higgs and now inflation. It is tremendously exciting to be around to see all this happening.

[sn1987a (Barry)]

Originally Posted by Shiraz

Crikey - first Higgs and now inflation. It is tremendously exciting to be around to see all this happening.

I can remember when they announced they found the W and Z Bosons many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day I can tell you!

[Astro_Bot]

Originally Posted by sn1987a

... many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day I can tell you!

Enter the twilight zone .... I just watched Ghostbusters two nights ago (Sunday)!

[Shiraz (Ray)]

just watched the ABC news - naah nobody interested in a huge advance in physics. Sigh!

[mr bruess]

once again Einstein is proven right in that Gravitational Waves do exist.

[sn1987a (Barry)]

Originally Posted by Shiraz

just watched the ABC news - naah nobody interested in a huge advance in physics. Sigh!

Yeah you'd think that the discovery of b-mode polarization imprinted on the CMB by primordial quantum gravitational waves thus proving inflation in the first micro nano femto second of the big bang would be up there with " where the heck is MH 370?"

[colinmlegg (Colin)]

Originally Posted by sn1987a

Yeah you'd think that the discovery of b-mode polarization imprinted on the CMB by primordial quantum gravitational waves thus proving inflation in the first micro nano femto second of the big bang would be up there with " where the heck is MH 370?"

Not to mention the trivial news that we probably live in a bubble universe, bobbing around in an infinite sea of other bubbles. not very newsworthy...