[OT] Black Holes Merge--Universe "wobbles"

[Desdichado]

No, I didn't forget to take that into account -- it just wasn't relevant to the topic at hand. From out point of view, it won't happen for another 100 million years.

 

[Darrin Drader]

One thing the article doesn't cover is how fast the gravitational waves would spread out through the universe. Would it be an instant effect, would the gravtiational waves go out at the speed of light, or would it be even slower than that? If we have to wait 100 million years for this event to occur, how much longer would we have to wait to be able to see it, and when can we expect Earth to pulsate?

This is very cool stuff though.

 

[Asathas]

Actually, it probably has already happened

Since it takes us 400 million years for the light from the event to get to us, we're seeing the events that actually happened 400 million years ago. While IANAQP (I Am Not A Quantum Physicist), to the best of my understanding gravity is an instantaneous (or perhaps better described as continuous) effect. So even if it took another 100 million years for the black holes to merge, the gravity wave shot out across space, passed through the Earth, and continued on about 300 million years ago.

Sorry folks, if we're getting a gravity wave we'll have to wait for another pair of black holes to collide.

 

[Desdichado]

We'll see the effects of it 100 million years from now. In actuality, it already happened 300 million years ago. That's because the distance is 400 million light years! Although my quantum phsyics isn't what it used to be: I'm not sure gravity waves travel at the speed of light.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Re: Actually, it probably has already happened

So even if it took another 100 million years for the black holes to merge, the gravity wave shot out across space, passed through the Earth, and continued on about 300 million years ago.

Sorry folks, if we're getting a gravity wave we'll have to wait for another pair of black holes to collide.

I beg to differ, and no I'm no more qualified than yourself. As far as I know Gravity travels at the speed of light, just like anything else, other than Tachions and other 'weird' particles. Isn't Gravity a particle, I keep hearing about Gravitons.

As to that 100 million years bit, I'm definately not waiting up for it to happen...

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Psion]

to the best of my understanding gravity is an instantaneous (or perhaps better described as continuous) effect.

Nope. Gravity effects propagate at c.

 

[Dr Midnight]

I came in just to see if my bet with myself was correct.

"Self," I said. "I bet you anything that there's a Cthulhu reference within.... say... the first five posts on this thread."

Thanks Tom Cashel!

 

[Umbran]

Nope. Gravity effects propagate at c.

However, let us note that nobody has, as of this time, actually observed gravity waves, or how quickly gravitational effects propagate. There has been no event large enough for us to measure such effects within our solar system.

We guess that they propagate at c. We don't yet have empirical evidence.

 

[Zappo]

Last time I read something about it, the speed (or, for that matter, the existance) of gravitational waves was a debated topic. I think it still is. So we just have to wait 300 millions years and see if the planet gets squeezed or not, I guess.

 

[Dagger75]

Right so it happened 300 million years ago. We are just witnessing the effects Today. So that means the Waves are on the way, or already hitting us, waking the restless spirits of evil living beneath the ground.

Run for the hills!!!!!!!