Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute/AEI) in Potsdam found that hidden dimensions – as predicted by string theory – could influence gravitational waves. Hidden dimensions are one of the most popular subjects in science fiction movies, but apparently, not everything is made up. Even though scientists have still not been able to find them, String Theory predicts hidden dimensions do EXIST.
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| Hidden dimensions may exist in the universe |
According to a new research at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics of the Albert Einstein Institute (AEI), hidden dimensions may influence something experts might detect: Gravitational Waves. If this is proven to be true, if experts study the ripples in space-time, they just might unlock the mystery of hidden dimensions and prove they do exist. The new study takes a look at the characteristics and consequences extra dimensions may have on gravitational waves, offering predictions whether or not scientists on Earth could detect their presence.
LIGO, Gravitational Wave, and Extra dimensions
As noted in the study, LIGO’s first detection of gravitational waves from a black-hole binary in September 2015 has opened a new window onto the universe. Now it looks like with this new observing tool physicists cannot only trace black holes and other exotic astrophysical objects but also understand gravity itself.
“Compared to the other fundamental forces like, e.g. electromagnetism, gravity is extremely weak,” explains Dr. David Andriot, one of the authors of the study. The reason for this weakness could be that gravity interacts with more than the three dimensions in space and one dimension in time that are part of our everyday experience. LIGO has opened a new window for astronomy detecting stellar-mass black holes larger than 20 solar masses. The success of LIGO has given birth to LISA, an in space manifestation of LIGO which will help experts expand their studies on supermassive black holes and another cosmic phenomenon. Experts will use LIGO’s observations not only to trace and locate Black Holes but to research and explain gravity itself. Experts say that the relatively weak force of gravity may be the result of interactions between hidden dimensions. Astronomers suspect that if hidden dimensions do exist, would modify “standard” gravitational waves and cause additional waves above 1,000 Hz. As noted by Futurism, it seems unlikely that we could observe the latter phenomenon (not from Earth, anyway) but introducing more than one detector into the mix might improve our chances.
“The effect that extra dimensions can make a difference in how “standard” gravitational waves stretch and shrink space-time might be easier to detect by making use of more than one detector.”
Searching for extra dimensions with all available tools
In the past experts at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN have tried finding evidence of the existence of hidden dimensions but with little luck.
“Physicists have been looking for extra dimensions at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN but up to now this search has yielded no results,” says Dr. Gustavo Lucena Gómez, the second author of the paper. But gravitational wave detectors might be able to provide experimental evidence.”