Going Beyond LIGO with High Frequency Gravitational Waves
LIGO is a success with over 50 gravitational wave detections so far. Now imagine the possibility of a high-frequency version of this technology actually creating ripples on the fabric of space-time, with implications for everything from communications to transportation. We join Dr. Robert Baker, Jr. to learn about his vision for High Frequency Gravitational Wave technology…
Robert, let me begin by asking you for a layperson’s definition of this concept: what exactly are High-Frequency Gravitational Waves?
The short answer is that High-Frequency Gravitational Waves or HFGWs are ripples in the fabric of space-time whose wavelengths are small and whose frequencies are greater than 100 kHz.
Einstein called this fabric the “space-time continuum” in his 1915 theoretical work of General Relativity. Although his theory is very sophisticated, the concept is relatively simple. This fabric is four-dimensional: it has the usual three dimensions of space: height, width, depth, plus the fourth dimension of time.
Here’s an example: we can define a location on this “fabric of space-time” as 5th Street and Third Avenue…
