The Legacy Of Viking

“If you read the history of the development of chemistry and particularly of physics, you will see that even such exact natural sciences could not, and still cannot, avoid basing their thought systems on certain hypotheses. In classical physics, up to the end of the 18th century, one of the working hypotheses, arrived at either unconsciously or half-consciously, was that space had three dimensions, an idea which was never questioned. The fact was always accepted, and perspective drawings of physical events, diagrams, or experiments, were always in accordance with that theory. Only when this theory is abandoned does one wonder how such a thing could ever have been believed. How did one come by such an idea? Why were we so caught that nobody ever doubted or even discussed the matter? It was accepted as a self-evident fact, but what was at the root of it? Johannes Kepler, one of the fathers of modern or classic physics, said that naturally space must have three dimensions because of the Trinity! So our readiness to believe that space has three dimensions is a more recent offspring of the Christian trinitarian idea.”

— Marie-Louise von Franz, Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology

Gravitational Waves in the Space-Time Continuum

Einstein's Theories of Relativity

Einstein has two theories of relativity. The first is The Theory of Special Relativity (1905). This is a theory of mechanics that correctly describes the motions of objects moving near the speed of light. This theory predicts that mass increases with velocity. The equation is E=MC^2 or Energy = Mass × Speed of Light ^2.

In 1916, Einstein proposed the Theory of General Relativity, which generalized his Theory of Special Relativity and had the first predictions of gravitational waves. It implied a few things.

Space-Time is a 4-Dimensional continuum.

Principle of equivalence of gravitational and inertial mass.

This suggests that Mass-Energy distorts the fabric of space-time in a predictable way (gravitational waves). It also implies

Strong gravitational force makes time slow down.

Light is altered by gravity

Gravity in strong gravitational fields will no longer obey Newton's Inverse-Square Law.

What is Newton's Inverse-Square Law?

Newton's Inverse-Square Law suggests that the force of gravity between any two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance between the two centers.

Stephen Hawking's Theory of Everything

Stephen Hawking's Theory of Everything is the solution to Einstein's equation in his Theory of General Relativity. It says that the mass density of the universe exceeds the critical density.

Critical Density: amount of mass needed to make a universe adopt a flat geometry.

This theory states that when the universe gets too big it will crash back into its center in a "Big Crunch" creating giant black hole. The energy from this "Big Crunch" will rebound and create a new "Big Bang".

Big Crunch: hypothetical scenario for the end of the known universe. The expansion of the universe will reverse and collapse on itself. The energy generated will create a new Big Bang, creating a new universe.

Big Bang: Matter will expand from a single point from a state of high density and matter. This will mark the birth of a new universe.

Basic Facts about Gravitational Waves

Invisible "ripples" in the Space-Time Continuum

Travel at the speed of light

186,000 miles per second / 299,337.984 Kilometers per second

11,160,000 miles per minute / 17,960,279.04 Kilometers per minute

669,600,000 miles per hour / 1,077,616,742.4 Kilometers per hour

There are four (4) defined categories

Continuous

Stochastic

Burst

Compact Binary Inspiral

What is LIGO?

The first proof of the existence of gravitational waves came in 1974. 20+ years after Einstein's death.

The first physical proof came in 2015, 100 years after his theory was published. The waves were detected by LIGO.

LIGO- Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

The waves detected in 2015 came from 2 black holes that collided 1.3 billion years ago in the constellation Hydra. 1.3 billion years ago multicellular life was just beginning to spread on Earth, it was before the time of the dinosaurs!

Continuous Gravitational Waves

Produced by a single spinning massive object.

Caused by imperfections on the surface.

The spin rate of the object is constant. The waves are come at a continuous frequency.

Stochastic Gravitational Waves

Smalles waves

Hardest to detect

Possibly caused by remnants of gravitational radiation left over from the Big Bang

Could possibly allow us to look at the history of the Universe.

Small waves from every direction mixed together.

Burst Gravitational Waves

Never been detected.

Like ever.

Never ever.

Not once.

Nope

No

N E V E R

We don't know anything about them.

If we learn about them they could reveal the greatest revolutionary information about the universe.

Compact Binary Inspiral Gravitational Waves

All waves detected by LIGO fall into this category.

Produced by orbiting pairs of massive and dense objects. (Neutron Stars, Black Holes)

Three (3) subclasses

Binary Neutron Star (BNS) // Two (2) Neutron Stars colliding

Binary Black Hole (BBH) // Two (2) Black Holes colliding

Neutron Star- Black Hole Binary (NSBH) // A black hole and a neutron star colliding

Each subclass creates its own unique wave pattern.

Waves are all caused by the smae mechanism called an "inspiral".

Occur over millions of years.

Over eons the objects orbit closer together.

The closer they get, the faster they spin.

Sources Used:

On The Shoulders Of Giants by Stephen Hawking

Oxford Astronomy Encyclopedia

LIGO Lab | Caltech

LIGO Lab | Caltech | MIT

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two widely separated installations within the United States — one

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Also a fact

Johannes Kepler

Johannes Kepler was a German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer.

Kepler is a key figure in the 17th-century scientific revolution. He is best known for his laws of planetary motion, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy. These works also provided one of the foundations for Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation.

In astronomy, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion are three scientific laws describing the motion of planets around the Sun.

The orbit of a planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci.

A line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

The square of the orbital period of a planet is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.

Most planetary orbits are nearly circular, and careful observation and calculation are required in order to establish that they are not perfectly circular. Calculations of the orbit of Mars, whose published values are somewhat suspect, indicated an elliptical orbit. From this, Johannes Kepler inferred that other bodies in the Solar System, including those farther away from the Sun, also have elliptical orbits.

Kepler’s work (published between 1609 and 1619) improved the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus, explaining how the planets’ speeds varied, and using elliptical orbits rather than circular orbits with epicycles.

Isaac Newton showed in 1687 that relationships like Kepler’s would apply in the Solar System to a good approximation, as a consequence of his own laws of motion and law of universal gravitation. 

Johannes Kepler  

Kepler’s laws of planetary motion

It's the 1 year birthday for this acct!!!

sorry what

What kind of math is needed to get to Mars? How is the path of the lander calculated?