Gravitational Wave Background | Scientists use a living laboratories called pulsar timing arrays

In order to detect the background hum of gravitational waves in the cosmos, scientists monitor the light coming from dead stars called pulsars. These pulsars produce flashes of light with incredible regularity, allowing researchers to calculate when they would expect to detect these flashes. The difference between the expected actual arrival time of these flashes is caused by small ripples in space-time caused by gravitational waves. Researchers are looking at these differences across dozens of pulsars, called pulsar timing arrays, for confirmation of the gravitational wave background.

[NielsLyhne]

What these scientists are now capable of doing is simply astonishing. I am in awe at the creativity, precision, and persistence.

[BrianFedirko]

The weird thing about the concept of gravity hum, is that of the forces gravity isn't polar. Gravity is a continual "infinite" (maybe) resolute force, and only objects in motions "pull" spacetime with oscilation, while the stationary pull. Pull isn't the correct term, but I don't know how to describe it otherwise as our knowledge in this respect is very little. There is obviously a background force due to gravity throughout the universe, while these larger oscillations move through stationary... I'm confusing myself as I try to describe the inherent problem with this physics concept. Gravity is the underlying largest force that can concentrate in the universe, and we've yet to properly perceive it or understand it. We need to continue with projects and thinking such as this if quantum physics and relativity are ever going to function well for us together in our understanding of the universe and everything around us. Gr8! Peace ☮💜Love

[markholm]

Well written! A clear, concise description.

[dyode]

Excellent presentation - now I understand the (simplified) mechanism behind the recent confirmed detections. Many thanks!

[extropian]

Holy smokes. I can't wait to hear more about this and the GW Background.

[jakemetzer]

I wonder if Tyler Childers "Universal Sound" is in reference to that background gravitational hum

[KE-quty]

I think 1:14 is incorrect! It detect smaller blackholes but not big ones! What am U missing here? I thought larger detection tools means more sensitivity needed for smaller blackholes! Not the opposite.

[EricLiconaWestSideWhenWeRide]

on June29th, will we know if scientists have discovered the pattern for this gravitational background hum?

[footfault]

A perfect fairy tale to a total layman, me.
"Dead" "living" .. stars? Oh, yes! A star is born, they say. It'll die some day if born. Logical.

[sevisymphonie]

I once thought that satellites could be used to build an even bigger interferometer here. You would just have to know the position of satellites very precisely. But now this proposal to use pulsars, ... wow! It`s not an interferometer (if I understood it correctly) but it has no less accurate.

[onemanmob]

This is such a beautiful and simple tool, compared to, e.g. LHC

[AbellLincoln]

God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign
No More Water but Fire Next Time
🔥🙏🌈

[inflivia]

I think it's misleading to say that 'ripples in spacetime' caused an effect on the LIGO apparatus. Interferometers do not have any components that could sense a 'ripple in spacetime'. At the base level, LIGO can not detect anything different from a regular seismograph - it simply detects the movement of atoms. That movement can be caused by many non-relativistic things, which is why LIGO had to spend decades learning how to filter out background noise. At the base sensor level, I don't think there is any difference between a local signal, or a remote signal, other than the direction that the signal came from.