Gravitational Waves were the last of Einstein's predictions from his General Theory of relativity to come back with verifiably favorable evidence. Every idea theory he had was tested and is accepted. They are concentric ripples that squeeze and stretch the fabric of space-time caused by the orbit of large gravitational objects and can be measured for from far away on extremely small levels. The recent discovery of them was found due to two black holes (one 29x the size of the sun, the other 36x) orbiting closely together 1.3 million light years away. Gravitational waves also travel along the fabric of spacetime at lightspeed and 1.3 million years ago these two black holes collapsed into each other after rotating 250 times a second. Combining in less than a fifth of a second, these two black holes formed a final black hole 62x the size of the sun. The effects of this cataclysmic event could be felt from earth 1.3 million years later.
To measure for these waves, which were much more difficult to detect once they reached us, scientists had to create the most sensitive machine ever built. Considering the changes in spacetime caused by these waves from this distance were sub-atomic the scientists in two different locations at the LIGO experiments created a machine to measure for these waves. They beamed light over 2.5 miles in 2 different directions, and if the waves existed, the squeezing and stretching should cause the two different beams should come back at 2 different times. Inevitably, the experiment yielded positive results and the scientists measured changes smaller than 1/10,00th the size of a proton.
To measure for these waves, which were much more difficult to detect once they reached us, scientists had to create the most sensitive machine ever built. Considering the changes in spacetime caused by these waves from this distance were sub-atomic the scientists in two different locations at the LIGO experiments created a machine to measure for these waves. They beamed light over 2.5 miles in 2 different directions, and if the waves existed, the squeezing and stretching should cause the two different beams should come back at 2 different times. Inevitably, the experiment yielded positive results and the scientists measured changes smaller than 1/10,00th the size of a proton.
"Here's to Einstein. 100 years after he predicted them, scientists have found evidence of Gravitational Waves on September 14th, 2015. They built the most sensitive machine ever created and beamed light over 2.5 miles. They then measured changes in the light beams smaller than 1/10,000th the size of a proton...that's stupid small."
This was an incredible discovery in the field of physics and personally, I was very drawn to it. Later that day I was given by one of my professors to essentially create a poster about whatever i wanted and this is what came of it. I spent several days researching the aspects of the waves, the nature of their discovery and what it means. From there, I sketched and sketched, made several rough drafts and eventually created this poster.
