Relevance: Prelims: General Science
- Gravitational waves are small ripples in space-time curvature that are believed to travel across the universe at the speed of light. They were predicted to exist by Albert Einstein in 1916 as a consequence of his General Theory of Relativity.
- Massive accelerating objects such as neutron stars or black holes orbiting each other disrupt space-time in such a way that ‘waves’ of distorted space radiate from the source (like the movement of waves away from a stone thrown into a pond). These ripples travel at the speed of light through the Universe, carrying with them information about their cosmic origins, as well as clues to the nature of gravity itself.
- The strongest gravitational waves are produced by catastrophic events such as colliding black holes and supernova. They transport energy in the form of gravitational radiation, pass through matter without interacting with it.
- These are measured by LIGO Interferometers.
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