Ripples in reality
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- LIGO Livingston Observatory, Livingston, LA (United States)
In a deep and dark corner of space, a cataclysm loomed. Two cosmic nemeses circled one another, locked in a macabre dance of death. Unfolding over millennia, the deadly waltz began leisurely enough. But with the dance came radiation and the energy loss that it implies. Orbit after orbit, the distance between the two protagonists shrank as their grip on each other tightened. Radiation carried away energy, but not angular momentum, so the orbital velocity grew to incomprehensible levels—well into the realm where Einstein's theory of special relativity reigns supreme. With the closing distances, the inevitable occurred as the two twisted knots of spacetime approached each other and merged in a spasm that shook the universe so violently that the energy output briefly outshone the electromagnetic energy output of the entire universe. The two adversaries become one, finally merged together for all eternity. The traces of their ordeal died away, leaving only a fading death scream that spread throughout the cosmos, growing ever fainter. That is, until they passed through Earth. Furthermore, that was the moment that changed everything.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11359
- OSTI ID:
- 1333139
- Report Number(s):
- FERMILAB-PUB-16-498-E; PHTEAH; 1494519
- Journal Information:
- Physics Teacher, Vol. 54, Issue 7; ISSN 0031-921X
- Publisher:
- American Association of Physics TeachersCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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