Gravity wave detector is go All bets are off A key prediction of
Einstein's Theory of General Relativity is set to be tested, as
a German/UK research group powers up its gravitational wave
detector GEO600 for an 18-month stint of continual operation.
Gravitational waves are a consequence of the equations of
Einstein's famous theory. He predicted that two stars in orbit
around one another would gradually lose energy from their orbits
in the form of gravitational radiation. The orbits would
gradually collapse, resulting in shorter and shorter orbital
periods. Although there is some circumstantial evidence to
support the theory, no one has been able to test directly for
their existence in the real world. Now a lab in Hanover will be
watching the skies for these waves, which ought to be produced
when a star explodes as a supernova. "If there is a supernova in
our vicinity during the next couple of months, our chances of
detecting and measuring the resulting gravitational waves are
good," said says Professor Karst