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Gravitational waves transport energy as gravitational radiation, a form of radiant energy similar to electromagnetic radiation. [7] Newton's law of universal gravitation , part of classical mechanics , does not provide for their existence, instead asserting that gravity has instantaneous effect everywhere.
Gravitational waves were later predicted in 1916 by Albert Einstein on the basis of his general theory of relativity as ripples in spacetime. Later he refused to accept gravitational waves. [3] Gravitational waves transport energy as gravitational radiation, a form of radiant energy similar to electromagnetic radiation.
Known gravitational wave events come from the merger of two black holes (BH), two neutron stars (NS), or a black hole and a neutron star (BHNS). [ 9 ] [ 10 ] Some objects are in the mass gap between the largest predicted neutron star masses ( Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff limit ) and the smallest known black holes.
The first direct observation of gravitational waves was made on 14 September 2015 and was announced by the LIGO and Virgo collaborations on 11 February 2016. [3] [4] [5] Previously, gravitational waves had been inferred only indirectly, via their effect on the timing of pulsars in binary star systems.
The first observation of a decrease in orbital period due to the emission of gravitational waves was made by Hulse and Taylor, using the binary pulsar PSR1913+16 they had discovered in 1974. This was the first detection of gravitational waves, albeit indirect, for which they were awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics. [98]
These gravitational waves are predicted to travel at the speed of light. For example, planets orbiting the Sun constantly lose energy via gravitational radiation, but this effect is so small that it is unlikely it will be observed in the near future (Earth radiates about 200 watts of gravitational radiation). The radiation of gravitational ...
Their existence was indirectly confirmed when observations of the binary pulsar PSR 1913+16 in 1974 showed an orbital decay which matched Einstein's predictions of energy loss by gravitational radiation. The Nobel Prize in Physics 1993 was awarded to Hulse and Taylor for this discovery. [60] Direct detection of gravitational waves had long been ...
acoustic radiation, such as ultrasound, sound, and seismic waves, all dependent on a physical transmission medium; gravitational radiation, in the form of gravitational waves, ripples in spacetime; Radiation is often categorized as either ionizing or non-ionizing depending on the energy of the radiated