IT happened more than a billion light years from Earth, but now the world knows that the gravitational waves predicted by Albert Einstein more than a century ago really do exist. The discovery of the warping of space-time generated by the collision of two black holes may not change the world, but finding these ripples in the fabric of the universe will change the way science views the cosmos.
After decades of research, teams of scientists using laser beams fired in devices called interferometers in the so-called LIGO project have found Einstein’s gravitational waves. “We have detected gravitational waves,” David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO project, told journalists at a news conference in Washington DC. It’s the first time the Universe has spoken to us through gravitational waves. Up until now, we’ve been deaf.”
Professor Stephen Hawking, who is an expert on black holes, said he believed that the detection marked a moment in scientific history.
“Gravitational waves provide a completely new way at looking at the Universe,” said Prof Hawking. “The ability to detect them has the potential to revolutionise astronomy. This discovery is the first detection of a black hole binary system and the first observation of black holes merging.”
Scotland played its part in what has already been called a “Nobel Prize-winning” achievement, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has hailed their input.
Scientists from Scottish universities played a key role in the discovery.
Experts from the University of Glasgow’s Institute for Gravitational Research led on the development, construction and installation of sensitive “mirror suspensions” at the heart of the LIGO detectors which were central to the first detection.
That technology was developed in partnership with another Glasgow-based university, the University of Strathclyde, as well as the universities of Birmingham and the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. Professor Sheila Rowan, director of the Institute for Gravitational Research, said: “This is a monumental leap forward for physics and astrophysics – taking Einstein’s predictions and turning them into an entirely new way to sense some of the most fascinating objects in our universe.
“This first detection, in addition to confirming Einstein’s prediction, also gives us the first direct evidence of the existence of black holes and the first observation of black holes merging, which is a fantastic result.”
The University of Strathclyde said the development “marks the dawn of a new era in astronomy”.
Dr Nicholas Lockerbie, reader in physics at the university, said: “I never expected to see an event of this kind in my lifetime.
“Gravity has now spoken to us, across vast tracts of the universe. For the first time in mankind’s history, we have been able to hear it and understand what it said.
“This event is evidence of a stunning black-hole-black-hole merger, lasting less than one second. However, its detection is the result of decades of international, scientific and technical collaboration, culminating in the matchless gravitational wave sensitivity of the advanced LIGO detectors in the US.”
The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I’m pleased and proud that scientists from Scottish universities played a key role in the worldwide effort to prove that Einstein’s prediction of the existence of gravitational waves was correct.”
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